Keith Knight

A man placed under a sexual risk order (SRO) despite never being convicted of a sexual offence has been sentenced after admitting he broke the strict conditions imposed on him.

Keith Knight, 64, of South Meadows, Dipton, Stanley, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to two breaches of his SRO between April 5 and May 23 last year. The order had been imposed in April last year after Durham Constabulary applied to restrict his online activities, even though he had not been convicted of any sexual crime.

Prosecutor John Garside told the court that officers carried out a routine search of Knight's home in May last year and recovered a mobile phone and a digital tablet. “Part of his risk order requires him to notify police within three days of acquiring them and he failed to do so,” Mr Garside said.

The court heard that Knight’s underlying criminal investigation was still ongoing and he remained unaware whether he would face any charges. Mitigating, Paul Donoghue said his client felt the order was unfair but had to accept its terms. “As he is on the order, he has to accept the terms of it. He doesn’t like being on it and he thinks it is unfair. He has been accused and not charged with any offence at this time,” Mr Donoghue said. “Dealing with the two devices, one was to be a gift and the other was an old device that had been lying around for some time and hadn’t been found by the police previously. If you go through most people’s homes you will find old devices.”

Lois Neal, the chairwoman of the magistrates’ bench, sentenced Knight to a 12-month community order with 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days. She said: “You have learned your lesson and you are going to have to a lot more thinking over the next 12 months. The order will continue until April 2028.”