Christopher Gilby

Christopher Gilby, a 43-year-old man from Washington, Tyne and Wear, was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court for failing to comply with his registration requirements as a sex offender and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. The case stemmed from routine police visits to his home, where authorities uncovered his attempts to conceal electronic devices he was required to declare.

In September 2022, Gilby had previously received a suspended jail term for possessing over 1,100 child abuse images, predominantly category C, the least serious classification. As part of his conditions, he was obligated to inform authorities of any internet-enabled devices in his possession. However, during a routine check in September 2023, a police officer noticed a receipt from a local computer repair shop for a device Gilby had not declared. Gilby claimed he had sold the computer to a friend and no longer owned it.

Prosecutor Neil Jones informed the court that further investigation revealed Gilby was a regular customer at the repair shop, using a false name, including visits after the alleged sale date. When questioned again in December 2023, Gilby still refused to surrender the device. It was only during this later visit, equipped with a specialist sniffer dog from Northumbria Police, that the hidden computer was located in a concealed compartment built into the bed frame beneath his mattress in his bedroom at Lumley Close, Oxclose. Additional items, including a hard drive and SD cards, were also found in the hideaway.

• Gilby admitted to hiding the equipment after its discovery.
• No inappropriate content was found on the newly discovered devices, according to defence solicitor Sue Hirst.
• Some computer components had been registered, but Gilby failed to report when the device was fully assembled and operational.

Gilby pleaded guilty to the breaches and also to possessing a flick knife found at his home, which his defence claimed was used solely for household tasks like opening boxes and was never carried outside. Recorder Richard Wright KC imposed a custodial sentence of 16 months imprisonment. The court heard Gilby was convicted of the initial non-compliance in August 2023. This incident highlights the rigorous enforcement of sexual harm prevention orders by Northumbria Police to monitor registered offenders and prevent further access to prohibited materials.

Source: Sunderland Echo, published 28 January 2026. Quotes from prosecutor Neil Jones: 'The device was hidden in such a way as to be certainly not capable of being found unless... police were equipped with a sniffer dog.' Defence: 'There is no evidence of anything inappropriate found on either that or any other devices.'