Wakefield paedophile jailed for downloading Snapchat to his phone
Predator sentenced for breaching strict order put in place to protect youngsters
A convicted paedophile has been jailed again after he was caught downloading Snapchat on his phone.
Luke Townend was under an oppressive sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) that prevents him from using social media.
It formed part of a three-year jail sentence he received last year for sexually communications with a boy.
The 26-year-old was put before Leeds Crown Court this week, appearing over a video link from HMP Leeds, having been returned to prison on licence to complete that three-year sentence.
He was also handed a new sentence, to be served consecutively.
Prosecutor Emily Jenkins said he had been given a factory-resetted phone in January. Esafe software was installed by the police to allow his use to be monitored.
But an alert was sent to officers three months later suggesting Towned had accessed Snapchat.
He was arrested on April 28 and his phone seized. It was found he had used a credit card to pay for a subscription to Snapchat Plus.
During his police interview, Townend fully admitted the breach. He has five previous convictions for 14 offences.
He was caught in 2021 having sexual communications with a child, for which he received a 12-month sentence, suspended for 24 months.
Then in February last year he was convicted of causing a boy to engage in sexual activity without consent and given the three-year sentence.
Mitigating, Chris Morton said autism was a factor with Townend, and social isolation, having lived at his parents’ home in the Wakefield area.
He said Townend simply wanted to speak with cousin over Snapchat and that beyond the breach of the SHPO, he was not engaged in further criminality.
Mr Morton said: “He recognises he needs to sort himself out. He makes no excuses for his behaviour.”
Judge Simon Phillips KC gave him another 10 months’ jail, which will only begin once he completes his existing three-year sentence.