Scott Anthony Taylor

Scott Anthony Taylor, a 30-year-old man from Bury, Greater Manchester, was previously convicted in 2010 for child sex offences after admitting to travelling to Northern Ireland on three occasions to have sex with a 15-year-old schoolgirl he had groomed online. For this offence, he was jailed for nine months and subjected to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) that prohibited him from working with children or vulnerable adults and from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 without parental or police consent.

Despite these restrictions, Taylor flouted the order by hiring himself out as a DJ at children's parties. On 1 March 2013, he performed at the Funtastic Play Centre in Radcliffe, hosting a monthly disco event for children aged 0 to 11. Taylor, who is the brother of one of the venue manager's friends, was contacted six weeks prior and made aware that the event was specifically for young children. He set up his lights and DJ equipment, entertaining around 25 children for more than two hours from 5:45pm until 8pm, supervised by parents, for a fee of £30. Taylor later claimed to police that he had not understood the terms of the order.

Following the event, the venue bosses became aware of Taylor's criminal history and immediately notified the authorities. Greater Manchester Police arrested him for breaching the SOPO. At Bury Magistrates' Court, prosecutor Shazia Aslam outlined the details, stating: “The defendant is prohibited from working with children or any vulnerable adults and is allowed no unsupervised contact with any under-16 unless it is consented by the parents or police.” Defence solicitor Emma Savage acknowledged the breach, noting: “There’s clearly work that needs to be done with Mr Taylor. This offence has been committed as he had some confusion with the conditions of the Sex Offender Order.”

Taylor, who was unemployed at the time, admitted the breach at an earlier hearing. On 29 March 2013, he was sentenced to a six-month community order with supervision, ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £60 victim surcharge. A spokesperson for Funtastic Play Centre expressed relief that the matter had been addressed, saying: “Everyone at Funtastic Play Centre is deeply upset by the recent events and we are relieved the matter has been dealt with.” This incident highlights the challenges in enforcing restrictions on convicted sex offenders to protect children in community settings.