Paedophile Makes Disturbing Searches on Secret Phone

Adam Webb, of Newcastle, who has a history of sex attacks on young girls, made disturbing searches on a phone he wasn't meant to have. The 26-year-old, already subject to restrictions after committing serious sex offences against two girls aged six and eight in 2014, was back in court for breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Webb had acquired a mobile phone without informing the police, as required, and then refused to provide the passcode for another phone. A search of the first phone revealed disturbing searches, including "teen porn", "schoolgirls", "British schoolgirl rape porn", "under skirt little girl", "children's homes in Newcastle", "famous paedophiles", and "how to clean your phone".

At Newcastle Crown Court, Webb was sentenced to three years in prison for admitting to two breaches of the sexual harm prevention order. Judge Recorder Geraldine Kelly stated, "How you behaved in relation to those phones, keeping possession of one from the officers and refusing to hand over the pass code, making those searches followed by a search of how to clean your phone, is entirely in keeping with how the probation officer finds you to be during your recent supervision by them."

She added, "They have noted how deceitful you are in order to avoid the consequences of that order. The purpose is to keep children safe from your sexual offending and you seem to be determined in trying to avoid that order. You are a high risk to children."

Webb has 12 previous convictions for sex offences or breaches of orders aimed at preventing his offending and was on licence at the time of the latest offences. In the 2014 offences, he was convicted of sexual assault, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Mark Harrison, defending Webb, claimed that his client was not the owner of the phone throughout the period and that it was given to him by a friend to sell on.