Bradford Crown Court Sentences Christopher Barratt for Breaching SHPO

Christopher Barratt, a 27-year-old man from Bradford, found himself back in court for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) just two-and-a-half months after it was imposed. Barratt had previously received an eight-month suspended sentence for making and possessing indecent images of children.

The court heard that Barratt accessed a cloud-based storage server, giving him the potential to view illegal material on the dark web, in violation of the SHPO. His online activity was monitored by a company on behalf of West Yorkshire Police, which detected multiple breaches.

Prosecutor Adam Walker revealed that Barratt accessed the cloud server multiple times in the early hours of the morning, leading to his laptop being seized by police. Barratt claimed it was an oversight, but Recorder Anthony Hawks dismissed this explanation, stating that Barratt’s actions posed a risk of serious harm.

Hawks warned Barratt that he was a registered sex offender and came close to being imprisoned for his actions. Despite Barratt’s technical knowledge, Hawks emphasized that he would be caught if he continued his behavior.

In the end, Barratt was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment suspended for two years, with a requirement to undertake rehabilitation activities and pay fines and costs. The judge’s stern words serve as a reminder to Barratt and others in similar situations that consequences will follow any further breaches of the law.