A registered Eden sex offender is back in trouble after failing to tell police he had created a Facebook Messenger account in the name of his alter ego “Louisa Jones”.
Darryl Saunders (33), of Springfort Cottages, Newton Reigny, was originally sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court in 2019. He was caught in a sting as he engaged in sexual online exchanges with what he thought was a girl aged 13. Police deployed an undercover officer amid suspicions that Saunders was accessing online platforms for illegal child sexual communication.
Using a pseudonym and pretending to be 17, Saunders sent a private message through a chat room to the “child”. Exchanges between them switched to Skype, through which he engaged “her” in graphic sexualised chat, sent indecent videos of himself and encouraged her to commit a lewd act.
After admitting his guilt, Saunders received a three-year community order and was told to complete rehabilitation work. He was also made the subject of sex offender register notification requirements, and the strict terms of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), restricting online use, both for five years.
But Saunders was back in court on Tuesday. He admitted breaching the SHPO by failing to tell police within a required timescale that he had bought an internet capable device which was not then fitted with monitoring software, as it should have been.
Carlisle magistrates heard this had been acquired from a Currys store on 4th September and was found by officers during a home visit. Defence lawyer Andrew Gurney said this was bought after Saunders separated from his wife and she took away a laptop. “She had previously done all his admin for his gardening business,” explained Mr Gurney.
Saunders further admitted failing to comply with notification requirements by creating the Messenger account in the name of Louisa Jones. This name had not been logged with police who found message exchanges dating back to June, 2022.
“The defendant has had a female alter ego since the age of 14 for which he has been receiving medical treatment and counselling,” said Mr Gurney.
No unlawful content had been found either on the device or Messenger account. Saunders’ case was committed by magistrates to Carlisle Crown Court for sentence on 7th November. He was bailed in the meantime.
