Colin Storr

In 2014, Colin Storr, then a man from Ennerdale in Cumbria, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court after admitting to more than a dozen criminal charges related to downloading hundreds of illegal images depicting the sexual abuse of children, some as young as three years old. The court imposed a three-year community order aimed at his rehabilitation and subjected him to a 10-year sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) with strict conditions to monitor and restrict his online activities.

With less than a year remaining on the SOPO, Storr found himself back in court for breaching its terms. On 2 August 2023, police attended his address at Ehen Garth, Ennerdale, to retrieve potentially relevant equipment. During the search, while officers were booting up laptops, Storr voluntarily admitted to installing software capable of removing browser history. Prosecuting barrister Brendan Burke informed the court that the software was indeed capable of disguising or eliminating data, constituting a clear breach of the order.

Storr pleaded guilty to the single breach. In his defence, Marion Weir explained that no illegal material was recovered from the devices, and Storr had used the software merely to organise his computer system. She noted that Storr erroneously believed he was compliant since he had not activated the deletion function. Weir described Storr as a 'complex individual' who had left mainstream education without qualifications but had self-educated himself through O-levels, A-levels, and a PhD, emerging as a 'highly educated man'. She highlighted his structured approach to life and his commitment to consulting police before installing any software on his devices in the future.

Judge Nicholas Barker acknowledged Storr's intelligence and the significant educational achievements he had made despite personal difficulties. The judge noted that Storr had largely complied with the order over the previous nine years without major issues. Consequently, on 13 November 2023, Barker suspended a nine-month custodial sentence for two years and ordered Storr to undergo rehabilitation activities. Storr remains subject to the SOPO until May 2024.

This case, reported by the News and Star and covered by Chief Reporter Phil Coleman, underscores the ongoing supervision required for sex offenders and the consequences of even technical breaches of protective orders. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Cumbria Constabulary.