Convicted Sex Offender Jailed for 12th Breach of Court Order

Mark King, 49, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his 12th breach of a court order requiring him to register as a sex offender. King was originally made subject to these requirements in 2012 following a conviction for exposure. He was ordered to declare a fixed address, or notify police if homeless, until February 2022.

Despite this, King has repeatedly breached the order, committing offenses in various parts of the UK. In 2018, he was jailed for sleeping rough in a Penrith park. The following year, he received a 28-month sentence in the Midlands. His latest breach occurred in October when he went off the radar for a month after being released from custody for theft and breach of order.

Prosecutor Tim Evans told the court that King had indicated he was going to travel to Birmingham but never arrived. He was eventually arrested at the end of October. King admitted to flouting the notification requirements and was sentenced by Judge Simon Medland QC.

Judge Medland noted that this was King's 12th breach in less than a decade and saw no alternative to a lengthy prison term. He told King, "It just doesn't seem to get through to you that the courts must take this seriously."