Convicted sex offender was staying at a house where there were children.

Sex offender Stefan Foy back in court for breaching notification requirements

Stefan Foy, 29, has appeared in court after staying at a house with children without informing police, a breach of his sex offender notification requirements. Foy was convicted of possessing indecent images of children in 2017 and is legally obliged to inform officers of his whereabouts when in a household with minors.

Magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard that Foy had stayed overnight several times with a couple he had befriended, unaware of his criminal history. The couple had three children, bringing Foy into contact with minors without proper notification.

Foy also deleted his internet history from his mobile phone, a violation of his court-ordered restrictions. He had been using the dating app Grindr, and the court discovered he had deleted the app from his phone.

The case has been referred to the crown court for sentencing, as the magistrates deemed the offences too serious for their jurisdiction.

Prosecutor Sara Beddow outlined the events, stating that Foy was subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and the sex offenders' register notification requirements following his 2017 conviction at Chester Crown Court.

"On January 11, police conducted an unannounced risk assessment visit. Foy claimed he had become friends with a couple in the Stoke-on-Trent area and initially denied contact with children. However, police reviewed his phone and discovered pictures of the couple with their three children on their Facebook account," Beddow stated.

When confronted, Foy admitted to staying at the couple's house several times, acknowledging that he had seen the children, but only "from a distance."

The court learned that Foy had begun a relationship with a man he met through Grindr, who was related to the couple he was staying with. None of the individuals were aware of Foy's past conviction.

Foy, of Cherry Tree Lane, Biddulph Moor, pleaded guilty to breaching the SHPO and failing to comply with the sex offenders' register notification requirements. He declined legal representation but expressed remorse to the magistrates, stating, "I know I did wrong. I was in a bad place over Christmas, I got some attention from someone and his relatives. I got carried away with it, I didn't think about what I was doing. It was stupid of me. I'm glad I got caught by the police when I did."

Magistrates ordered a pre-sentence report before Foy's next hearing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, the date of which is yet to be determined.