Released dangerous sex offender got girl drunk and took her shopping.

Dangerous Sex Offender Jailed Again

Mark Phillips, a dangerous sex offender, has been sent back to prison after being caught trying to engage with teenage girls within months of his release.

Phillips, who was released after serving six years of a ten-year sentence for having sex with a 14-year-old girl, was found to be contacting schoolgirls on chatrooms and social media.

He was caught shopping with a 16-year-old girl in Exeter, whom he also provided with alcohol. This incident led to his arrest and subsequent jailing.

Phillips was originally declared a dangerous offender in 2013 when he was jailed at Truro Crown Court for three offences of penetrative sexual activity with a child. He had begun a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl in his hometown of Callington, ultimately becoming controlling, manipulative, and abusive.

Upon his release from Dartmoor Prison in April 2019, Phillips was living in a post-release hostel in Exeter. However, police discovered he was again attempting to contact underage girls.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was imposed on Phillips, prohibiting him from contacting anyone under 18, either in person or online. He breached this order just five weeks later by messaging the 16-year-old girl, taking her shopping in John Lewis, and buying her alcohol.

Phillips, now 30, admitted to breaching the SHPO and was sentenced to two years in prison by Judge Timothy Rose at Exeter Crown Court. The judge stated that Phillips knew exactly what he was doing and that he was a dangerous person who had deliberately manipulated the young girl.

The prosecution revealed that Phillips' offender manager had become concerned about his online activity, as he was found accessing pornographic websites daily and contacting females on social media and chatrooms who appeared to be school-aged.

Phillips' defense attorney argued that he had begun a sex offenders treatment program after his release, but it had not yet impacted his behavior. Further work will be needed before he is released again, which may not be until the expiry of his original sentence in 2023.