A "high risk registered sex offender" has been jailed for persistently breaching court orders designed to prevent further offences by using aliases online. The 24-year-old defendant was sentenced to nine months in prison at Teesside Crown Court.
The individual, who appeared on the court list as Luke Hardy but identifies as Zoe Hardy and was referred to using female pronouns during the sentencing hearing, had repeatedly violated Sexual Harm Prevention Orders (SHPO). The first order was imposed in 2022 after Hardy received a community order for three counts of making indecent images of children.
Dating apps and aliases
The original conviction related to eight images of the most serious kind found on Hardy's mobile phone. Hardy first breached the order in 2023 by deleting internet history and erasing dating apps from the handset, which violated the order's provisions.
Later in 2023, Hardy breached the order again by registering on a pornography site using the name Lucy. This was prohibited as it was an alias that had not been notified to police as required.
Police discover latest breach
The court heard that Hardy explained to police at the time how she was "struggling with her sexuality, sometimes feeling like Luke, sometimes like Lucy". Saba Shan, prosecuting, said the latest breach occurred in July when officers visited Hardy's home in Yarm Lane, Stockton.
Officers had designated Hardy a "high risk sex offender" and discovered she had used the name "Zoe" on a dating app, in an email account and as her name on a mobile game. The breach occurred because Hardy failed to inform police about using this alias online.
Judge describes breaches as deliberate
Judge Richard Clews jailed Hardy for eight months for breaching the SHPOs and an additional month when he activated part of previous suspended sentences. He told the defendant: "It is appropriate to describe the breaches of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order as persistent and deliberate."
The judge sentenced on the basis that no harm had been caused to anyone else by Hardy breaching the orders. The case highlights the strict monitoring requirements placed on registered sex offenders and the serious consequences of failing to comply with court-imposed restrictions.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
