Adrian John Thomas

Adrian John Thomas, a 31-year-old man with no fixed abode, has been sentenced to three years in prison for breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and failing to comply with notification requirements. This follows his prior conviction in 2017 for a serious child sexual offence, which resulted in the imposition of the SHPO and notification order designed to prevent further offending.

The court heard that Thomas had breached the order a total of 15 times since it was issued. After his release from prison in October 2023, he initially moved to an approved address in Swansea. However, in January 2024, he relocated to Pembrokeshire and stayed with his mother in sheltered housing. Despite this, he falsely registered with police as having no fixed address, thereby breaching the notification requirements.

Further breaches involved Thomas taking control of his mother's iPhone without her consent, despite her protests. He added a PIN and facial recognition to the device and proceeded to create two Instagram accounts, a Gmail account, and a Facebook account—all actions prohibited under the terms of the SHPO. These incidents caused significant distress to his mother, who felt trapped by his behaviour.

Thomas appeared at Swansea Crown Court on 19 December 2024, where he admitted to four breaches of the SHPO and one count of failing to comply with notification requirements. In his defence, it was stated that he had moved in with his mother due to a lack of alternative accommodation, resorting to living in a tent otherwise. He expressed regret for his actions and had sought mental health support.

Judge His Honour Paul Thomas remarked during sentencing: "You seem completely determined to breach the sexual harm prevention order you were made subject of following conviction for a serious child sexual offence. You lied to police about where you were living. You used your mother’s phone against her wishes despite her begging you not to do so. You were on licence from an earlier offence. You are 31. You have amassed a very bad record for offences of this type. You appear undeterrable in your refusal to abide by the sexual harm prevention order." The judge imposed a total sentence of three years' imprisonment.

This case was reported by the Milford Mercury, based on proceedings at Swansea Crown Court, with an image provided by Dyfed-Powys Police.