Trent Jason Johnson

Trent Jason Johnson, a 22-year-old resident of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for breaching the conditions of his sexual harm prevention order. Johnson, already a convicted sex offender, was subject to strict monitoring following his original conviction for sex offences in March 2021, which resulted in a suspended sentence, placement on the sex offenders register, and a prohibition on deleting internet history from his devices.

The breach came to light on 8 November 2022, when officers from Durham Constabulary visited Johnson's home on South View in Bishop Auckland. Upon entering his bedroom, police observed a lead extending under his pillow and discovered an iPhone with the Yubo chat app actively running. The device was seized, and subsequent forensic examination revealed that Johnson had deleted his internet browsing history, despite being explicitly banned from doing so. Additionally, he had created aliases such as 'Memphis21' on the Yubo app without notifying authorities, as required under his notification obligations.

Prosecutor David Robinson-Young told Durham Crown Court that Johnson admitted to the deletions during police interview, stating he felt 'embarrassed' about his porn searches. This incident marked Johnson's second breach of the order; the first, in August 2021, had activated 18 months of his suspended sentence in September 2021. Johnson pleaded guilty to breaching the sexual harm prevention order and failing to comply with notification requirements. He appeared in court via video link from HMP Durham, assisted by an appropriate adult due to his diagnosed learning difficulties from age 14.

Defending barrister Stephen Constantine highlighted Johnson's guilty pleas, his engagement with mental health services, and a degree of immaturity as mitigating factors. However, Recorder Ian Mullarkey described the offending as 'serious' and imposed an 18-month custodial sentence on Friday, 25 November 2022. The case underscores the stringent oversight applied to registered sex offenders to prevent further risk, with Johnson's actions demonstrating non-compliance that necessitated his return to custody.