A sex offender from Wisbech convicted originally sentenced for sending sexual messages over Facebook to someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl, has been jailed for breaching the terms of the Sex Offenders’ Register.
Ashley Hammond of Falklands Drive, Wisbech, used an internet alias and failed to tell police he was staying at a new address in Gloucester.
He pleaded guilty to the two charges at Cambridge Crown Court on August 11.
Hammond was jailed for 18 months after also admitting breaching a suspended sentence for previous charges of the same nature.
Judge David Farrell QC told Hammond he had previously been given “yet another chance” to abide by the law but had ignored this.
He told Hammond he had been unable to comply with notification requirements put in place to protect women from him and his past behaviour, adding that he could have relationships but simply needed to comply with the requirements.
Judge Farrell warned Hammond that he couldn’t do the same again and said he had been “given enough chances” therefore only an immediate prison sentence was appropriate.
Hammond first came before Peterborough Crown Court in March 2017 after he sent sexual messages and images over Facebook to what he believed was a 13-year-old girl, but was actually a man. The court heard Hammond had driven to meet her for sex.
He was given a three-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) prohibiting him from owning a mobile phone without making it available upon request for inspection by a police officer.
However, in October of 2018 police visited Hammond’s address in Falklands Drive, and noticed an iPhone charger on his bedside table. Hammond admitted he had owned an unregistered iPhone since late 2017.
Hammond had also breached his SHPO by not notifying police that he had been staying at his girlfriend’s house for three months of 2018.
He pleaded guilty to twice breaching the order and was sentenced to16 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. A new term was also added to his SHPO, preventing him from deleting his internet history.
Hammond was also placed under an indefinite restraining order which will prevent him from contacting his now ex-girlfriend and her children, or entering their home address.
Detective Sergeant Paul Stimpson, from the public protection unit, said: “Hammond had clearly not learnt his lesson after being put before the courts several times for breaching various conditions he must adhere to as being a registered sex offender living in our community.
“This case sends a clear message about the consequences of breaching both a suspended sentence and the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders’ Register.
“Upon Hammond’s release from prison he will again be under the management of my team who will monitor his day-to-day activity, his electronic devices and pay him unannounced visits.
The public protection unit, who manage sex offenders in the community, discovered Hammond had failed to notify them of a new address he was staying at after getting into a new relationship.
He had also used an alias name on a games console – something he also should have declared to police.
Hammond was subsequently arrested for two counts of failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders’ Register.
In police interview he admitted both offences, telling officers he had “forgot” to notify them of the new address.
He admitted staying at his new girlfriend’s house in Gloucester from late March and for all of April. He also agreed it was his car caught on ANPR travelling to Gloucestershire.
Hammond eventually told officers that he hadn’t notified them of the address as he knew they would inform his new girlfriend of his previous convictions and that he was on the register.
He said the alias name on the games console was “just a mistake” and he had no reason to keep it from police.
Anyone who is concerned someone may have been convicted of a sex offence, and could be posing a risk to someone, can apply for disclosure information through Clare’s Law and Sarah’s Law.
Information on sexual offences and the Sex Offenders Register can be found on the force website.
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