Paedophile who had sex parties with children.

Paedophile Allowed to Change Name

Steven Sullivan, who was jailed for six years in 2009 for hosting sex parties with children as young as 12, has been allowed to change his name.

Sullivan, then 18, would arrange for taxis to pick up his victims, ply them with drugs and alcohol, and take indecent photos and videos of them. Police also found disturbing chat logs where he groomed girls and asked other adults to send him images of five-year-olds.

He was released on licence in January 2012, but was recalled to prison in April 2013 after being arrested on suspicion of raping a 15-year-old girl. While charges were ultimately dropped due to "weaknesses in the case," Sullivan remained in prison until November 2014 for breaching his licence conditions.

Despite his convictions, Sullivan continued his predatory behaviour. He played with himself in front of a camera while talking to a 14-year-old girl online, and bought two mobile phones without telling police, which he used to send sexually charged texts to the girl. He was sentenced to three years in prison in July 2016 for engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and breaching his sexual offences prevention order (SOPO).

On Friday, Sullivan appeared before Liverpool Crown Court to request an amendment to his SOPO, allowing him to change his name. He argued that his past crimes had made it difficult for him to find and keep employment, and that he had been subjected to harassment at his home address.

Judge Denis Watson approved the amendment, allowing Sullivan to change his name by deed poll within 10 weeks. He must also notify Lancashire Police, the Probation Service, the Crown Prosecution Service, and Liverpool Crown Court of his new identity within 48 hours of the alteration.

The judge said that Sullivan's past crimes had been widely reported, making it difficult for him to move on with his life. "He is unable effectively to function and continue his rehabilitation - which he is trying to do - while the public and employers are able to read of his past, because it prevents him from obtaining work or retaining work and because of the risks to him from others," the judge said.

The SOPO also limits Sullivan's use of electronic devices, his contact with children, and prohibits him from keeping images of under-18s without parental permission.