Child Sex Offender Caught With Secret Phone, Third Time Breaching Order

A child sex offender, Paul Evans, has been found guilty of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) for the third time. Evans, 55, was caught attempting to conceal a secret phone from police during an unannounced visit to his hotel room in Neath, Wales.

The court heard that Evans had been ordered to register any mobile phones he owned with the police after being convicted of attempting to meet a 12-year-old girl for sex following online grooming.

Police officers discovered the secret phone hidden under Evans' pillow while he was in a state of undress, having just gotten out of bed. The phone was being used for a video call with a woman.

The incident marked the third time Evans had breached the SHPO, which was initially imposed in 2018. In 2019, he was caught with a hidden smartphone and sentenced to eight months in prison. In 2021, he again contacted a social media profile pretending to be a 12-year-old girl, engaging in sexually explicit conversations and arranging a meeting, which was intercepted by paedophile hunters.

Evans pleaded guilty to the latest breach and was sentenced to 20 months in prison. The judge noted that the defendant posed a high risk of causing serious harm and there was no alternative to immediate custody.

Evans' lawyer argued that the phone was being used to communicate with a woman, rather than for "sinister purposes," after his release from prison in April. However, the judge was unconvinced, emphasizing Evans' deliberate breach of the court order and his history of offending.