A County Durham sex offender has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Trent Jason Johnson, 22, of South View, Bishop Auckland, was given a suspended sentence in March 2022 after being convicted of sex offences. He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders register.

As part of the order, Johnson was banned from deleting his internet history. However, on November 8, 2023, police went to Johnson's home and seized his iPhone, finding that he had deleted his internet history and created aliases on chat apps without notifying the authorities.

Johnson appeared at Durham Crown Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to breaching the sexual harm prevention order and breaching notification requirements.

Prosecutor David Robinson-Young told the court that police found Johnson in bed with his iPhone displaying the Yubo app. The phone was seized, and it was clear that Johnson had been accessing websites despite deleting his internet history.

Johnson admitted deleting his search history, stating he felt embarrassed about his porn searches. He also admitted creating usernames on the Yubo app, including "Memphis21," but failed to disclose them to police.

The court heard that this was Johnson's second breach of the order, with 18 months of his suspended sentence being activated in September 2022 following a breach in August 2022.

Defense attorney Stephen Constantine argued that Johnson's only mitigation was his guilty pleas. He noted that Johnson was diagnosed with learning difficulties at the age of 14 and was engaging with mental health organizations.

Sentencing Johnson, Recorder Ian Mullarkey said the offenses were "serious" and handed down an 18-month prison sentence.