Peterborough sex offender remanded after breaching court order by deleting dating apps from his phone

Matthew Verity, 42, was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and placed on the Sex Offenders Register in 2016 after being convicted of sexual assault.

Verity was visited at his home address in Dogsthorpe on Sunday (12 July) by officers from the north-based Public Protection Unit (PPU) as part of a routine check on registered sex offenders living within Cambridgeshire.

One of the restrictions as part of his SHPO is he must not delete any internet history. On inspection of his phone officers found evidence Verity had deleted WhatsApp messages and the two dating apps, Tinder and Grindr.

Verity pleaded guilty to breaching his SHPO at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday (13 July).

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Peterborough Crown Court for sentencing on a date to be set.

DS Paul Stimpson, from the Public Protection Unit, said: “From the point of his conviction Verity was allocated to a member of my team to be monitored, meaning they pay him regular unannounced visits, check he is not breaching any of his conditions and monitor his electronic devices.

“These measures are in place to ensure public safety and the team are very thorough with their inspections, hence the discovery of Verity’s breaches.”