Homeless Leeds paedophile in 'last-chance saloon' after being spared another jail sentence
A convicted paedophile has narrowly avoided being locked up for a third time.
Christopher Hawksworth has continually breached court orders in recent years, having originally been caught trying to groom a 13-year-old girl online in 2021.
He avoided jail on that occasion, but was locked up in late 2021 and then again in 2023 for breaching his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), put in place to monitor his internet use.
It failed to deter him and he was brought back to court in October last year, where he received another suspended sentence for breaching the SHPO again. He was also given unpaid works hours and rehabilitation days.
The 41-year-old was returned to Leeds Crown Court this week for twice missing unpaid work appointments in June.
His barrister, Caroline Abraham, said that Hawksworth has a low IQ and is suspected to have Asperger’s and bipolar disorder, although it was not yet diagnosed.
She said he was made homeless, but was living in a hotel in Hunslet and with the help of the council’s adult services, they are looking for suitable accommodation.
She said there had been safety issues over previous news reports into his offending.
Ms Abraham said: “He tells me he wants to complete this order I ask if the court could indulge him again and give him a further opportunity.”
His Honour Judge Robinson opted to revoke the unpaid work element, and replace it with 20 more rehabilitation days with probation.
He warned him of any further breaches and told him: “There’s no way you could stay out prison next time around. You really are in the last-chance saloon.”
Hawksworth was originally caught out by an online paedophile hunter group in 2021, when he targeted what he thought was a 13-year-old girl but was a decoy profile. He even gave the ‘girl’ a bus route information to his home.
He was then jailed in late 2021 for hiding a phone from police who came to check on him, then in 2023 he was found to be using social media, which once again put him in breach of his SHPO.