Gavin Thornton

Gavin Thornton

45, Male Custodial - 1y 2m

Hartlepool, County Durham

Offender ID: 0a2160b9-b76f-4284-a887-e0de78e9bbf6

Offence Summary

Sex offender Gavin Thornton breached his sexual harm prevention order just four days after release by deleting a social media app, downloading an incognito browser, and failing to register a new phone.

Full Description

Gavin Thornton, a 45-year-old formerly of Hartlepool, was jailed for 14 months at Teesside Crown Court for breaching his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) shortly after release from custody. Just four days out of prison, where he had served 32 months for possessing a large collection of child abuse images and videos of children as young as four, Thornton bought a new mobile without registering it with police. He signed up to the Bigo live streaming app and Opera incognito browser, then deleted the app and downloaded the browser, actions discovered during a random police check on April 14.

Prosecutor Saba Shan detailed Thornton's history, including prior contact with an undercover officer on a photo-sharing site used by paedophiles. Recorder Paul Reid sentenced him for two SHPO breaches, stating Thornton had a terrible record for child-related offences and an unhealthy, illegal interest in children that must cease. Thornton appeared via video link from Durham Prison.

The case, covered by The Northern Echo, underscores Thornton's persistent offending following child sex offences, as heard at Teesside Crown Court.

Location

City: Hartlepool

County: County Durham

Case Details

Police Force: Cleveland Police

Name heritage (predicted origin)

Country: United Kingdom

Confidence: 95%

Special Thanks

A huge thank you to Cleveland Police for their tireless dedication in bringing this offender to justice. Your commitment and hard work truly help keep our communities safe, and we are deeply grateful.

Source: thenorthernecho.co.uk

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