A troubled Eden Valley man showed wilfulness and deceit as he flouted a court order designed to protect the public.
Connor Saggers, now 25, was visited by police in April and June last year. His home was searched and items seized.
Mobile phone analysis revealed that during a 10-year period, from 2014, Saggers had downloaded hundreds of illegal images showing children being sexually abused.
Some 332 photographs were classed in category A, the most serious, Carlisle Crown Court heard. Saggers also viewed 17 images showing disturbing extreme pornography.
In September, police successfully secured a civil sexual risk order against Saggers. Orders are imposed to protect the public from individuals deemed to pose a risk of sexual harm.
But within weeks Saggers repeatedly flouted that order. He failed to inform an offender manager he had a new phone within three days of its acquisition.
He used Snapchat 97 times when it was not set to retain data. He used incognito mode on that phone which also was not fitted with the required police monitoring software.
A probation officer who interviewed Saggers concluded he did so wilfully and deceitfully.
And as Saggers was sentenced on Tuesday, Judge Nicholas Barker concluded: “There is no doubt you were being wilful and deceitful, not only in your attitude to the order but also in the way you were communicating with your offender manager.”
Saggers admitted charges reflecting indecent image possession and order breaches.
The court heard of his troubled and challenging upbringing and the fact he had long been without a male role model following the death of his father.
Gerard Rogerson, mitigating, spoke also of Saggers’ mental health difficulties, recent relationship breakdown and loss of employment.
“He says he does feel great remorse and sorrow for the crimes he has committed and would take them back in a heartbeat,” said Mr Rogerson. “He would like nothing more than to get back to work as soon as possible and to start a new life by getting his own place.”
In a letter, Saggers wrote: “I would also hope that my family will still want to have something to do with me after all this.”
There was love and support from relatives, Mr Rogerson confirmed. However, no suitable settled accommodation was yet available in the community for Saggers, who had been remanded in custody since October, serving the equivalent of a 12-month jail term.
Judge Barker imposed a two-year community order. Saggers, previously of Great Asby, will be released from custody before declaring himself homeless to housing association staff in a bid to secure a fixed address.
The judge acknowledged this was unsatisfactory but reminded Saggers he was under a legal obligation to keep police informed of his up to date whereabouts as part of tough sex offender notification requirements. Saggers must complete rehabilitation work and 180 hours’ community service. He must also comply with the strict terms of a prevention order and is banned from working with children or vulnerable adults.
“I recognise, Connor Saggers, you do not have any settled accommodation to go to,” said Judge Barker. “However, I have been presented with what, in my judgement, is an insoluble position which is that no-one at the moment appears minded to grapple with the issue of your accommodation.
“Someone has to. It is not the court’s responsibility to seek your accommodation and I cannot contemplate further adjournment of the sentence without any real confidence or insurance that any further delay of sentence would lead to settled accommodation.”
