Garry Dover Afflick

Garry Dover Afflick, a 57-year-old resident of Scarborough with a long history of criminal convictions, has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for breaching a lifetime sexual-harm prevention order. The order, imposed following his 2017 conviction for possessing indecent images of children, required him to retain his internet search history on any device to safeguard children from potential harm. Afflick's breach came to light during a routine police inspection at his home on 24 May 2023, when his offender manager discovered inconsistencies in his account of his Samsung phone's whereabouts.

According to prosecutor Jemima Stephenson at York Crown Court, Afflick initially claimed his phone had been stolen in Scarborough town centre and that he had purchased a replacement, which he registered with police within three weeks. He later admitted the original phone was recovered but stated he attempted to sell it to a pawnbroker, who refused it, leading him to sell it to a friend instead. Police investigations, however, revealed that Afflick had taken the phone to a shop where he signed a form confirming he had reset it to factory settings, effectively deleting its data. Despite denying the deletion during the trial at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court earlier in 2023, Afflick was convicted of the breach.

Afflick's criminal record is extensive, spanning over 170 offences since he began offending at age 13. This includes serious sexual crimes against young boys dating back to the 1990s, such as indecent assault on a boy under 14, making indecent images of children, and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements. Notable prior sentences include 14 years in 1997 for indecently assaulting a boy under 16, described in court as branding him a 'Fagin-style' sex offender; five years in 2001 for two counts of indecent assault on a child under 14 and a serious sex assault on a boy under 16; 19 months in October 2017 for possessing indecent images; and three years and four months in November 2019 for a previous breach involving befriending a family with a young child. In 2013, he received an order prohibiting contact with boys under 18. His non-sexual offences encompass burglary, theft, public disorder, handling stolen goods, serious violence, supplying Class A drugs, kidnapping, and blackmail.

Defence barrister Emily Hassell highlighted Afflick's difficult background, including a brain injury and other medical issues. However, Judge Simon Hickey emphasised Afflick's 'extremely lengthy and worrying record' and his history of flagrantly ignoring court orders designed to protect the public, particularly children. Sentenced on 22 September 2023, Afflick must serve half his two-and-a-half-year term in custody before release on licence and will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life. The case was reported by The Scarborough News on 25 September 2023, underscoring ongoing efforts to enforce protective measures against repeat offenders.