Peter Drury, a 43-year-old man from Lehar Close in Basingstoke, Hampshire, appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Friday, January 30, 2025, for sentencing after pleading guilty to breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). The SHPO had been imposed on March 17, 2022, following Drury's prior conviction for possessing extreme images of children and animals, for which he served two years in prison. He had also received an additional two months' imprisonment for a previous breach of a court order after his release.
The breach occurred on September 27, 2024, when a third party shared a video of Category A child abuse—the most severe category—in a thread within the Telegram group 'The House of LGBT'. Drury, who described himself as having 'panicked', immediately left the group and deleted the thread, thereby violating the conditions of his SHPO, which prohibited him from deleting any part of his internet history. Although Drury did not intentionally seek out the material, the act of deletion constituted a breach. Police were notified after a warning was triggered and visited Drury on October 4, 2024. He voluntarily attended a police interview and admitted to the breach.
Prosecutor Francesca da Costa outlined the details during the hearing, emphasising the inadvertent nature of the exposure but confirming the technical violation of the order. Defence barrister Mr Tucker argued that there was a 'world of difference between someone deliberately seeking out child abuse imagery and, on the other hand, coming across it inadvertently and in panic, immediately deleting it.' He noted that Drury ideally should have reported the image to his probation officer but understood why he did not, given the circumstances. The court heard that Drury is a socially isolated individual susceptible to the internet's darker temptations, but he has been making efforts to rehabilitate himself, including volunteering with a community food team where he is described as a 'valued member who always arrives on time', and regularly attending church groups, including Bible study, accompanied by a minister.
Judge Richard Tutt, in delivering the sentence, acknowledged Drury's basis of plea, stating: 'You deleted the thread because you said you didn’t wish to see it. A video of a child was posted and you said it made you feel sick, you didn’t know what to do, and you immediately removed yourself from the chat and deleted the thread.' The judge classified the offence as Culpability C, a minor breach, rather than the more serious Culpability B involving deliberate actions. Consequently, Drury was spared jail and instead received an 18-month community order, requiring 200 hours of unpaid work and up to 26 accredited programme days with the probation service. His SHPO remains in effect until April 27, 2032.
The case was reported by the Basingstoke Gazette, with coverage highlighting Drury's background as a convicted paedophile and the context of the breach within ongoing monitoring to prevent further sexual harm offences.