Pregnant partner was unaware of sex offender’s previous convictions

Craig Durrant, 27, was arrested in Wisbech in August on suspicion of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register in 2016 following a conviction for sexual offences against a child. He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) with strict conditions including:

- Not having unsupervised contact with a female child under 16 unless he has the consent of a child’s parent or guardian who has knowledge of his convictions and with approval of social services

- Not to live in the same household as a female child under 16 without approval of social services

- Not to contact any female child under 16, by any means including telephone, text, social media or any other media sharing website

- Not to possess or use a smart phone, computer or electronic device capable of accessing the internet unless it has the capacity to retain and display the history, he informs a police officer of its location before using it, and makes the device available on request for inspection by police

Conditions of being on the Sex Offenders Register means Durrant must notify police within three days if he stays at a house for at least 12 hours where a child is present. He must also notify them of any changes in address including anywhere he stays for more than seven days, changes in contact details or access to bank accounts/cards.

On July 10, a police officer from the Public Protection Unit – who monitors registered sex offenders – payed Durrant an unannounced visit.

He wasn’t in but a housemate gave the officer his phone number to reach him on, one which was not on the officer’s records for Durrant.

It was later discovered Durrant had been using the smart phone to use WhatsApp, with this, police were able to locate an address where he had been staying and had not told officers about, and had been using an email address and bank card which were not registered with police.

Durrant had been living with a woman and her two children for almost a year and the couple were expecting a baby.

She was unaware of his previous convictions.

Durrant, of King Street in Wisbech, admitted three counts of breaching conditions of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and three counts of failing to comply with the notification requirements of being on the Sex Offenders Register.

He appeared at Peterborough Crown Court on Wednesday (21 October) where he was sentenced to a total of one year and three months in prison.

DC Emily Heriot, from the north Public Protection Unit, said: “Durrant was well aware of the conditions he must adhere to which have been in place for the last four years. He had every opportunity to disclose to police and probation the changes but failed to do so. With support, all parties involved in this case can start to move on with their lives.

“These conditions and measures are put in place in order to protect our communities and children from sexual offenders, which is why our team works so hard to make sure any breaches are highlighted and put before the courts.

“I strongly urge anyone in a new relationship to use the Sarah’s Law disclosure scheme which allows you to ask us whether someone with access to a child has a record of child sex offences.”

Information about Sarah’s Law and the child sex offender disclosure scheme can be found on the force website here https://bit.ly/37B5E64.