A convicted sex offender from Warrington has been returned to prison after police discovered multiple breaches of his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) during a routine home visit. Nicky Lloyd, aged 41, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday following his admission to six counts of breaching the order, which was originally imposed in October 2018 at Chester Crown Court to limit his reoffending risks.
The breaches came to light on 27 March this year when a Cheshire Police officer conducted a compliance check at Lloyd's home on Gerrard Avenue in Bewsey. During the visit, officers seized a laptop, an Android mobile phone, three SD cards, and a Lenovo base tower computer unit for forensic examination. The devices contained pornographic videos depicting consensual and non-consensual sexual acts involving humans, as well as images of animated characters in similar explicit content. Additional materials included images of adult women or animated characters exposing breasts, bottoms, and genitals. Evidence also showed Lloyd had used Opera and TOR browsers, tools designed to conceal internet search history.
Lloyd was arrested and interviewed, where he made full admissions, confirming his awareness of the SHPO terms. He admitted deleting some images that 'were not to his liking' and using the Discord platform for 'role play of a sexual nature'. Lloyd expressed remorse, stating he had hoped police would not discover his actions, that they were for sexual gratification, and that he felt 'sick' about them. He also disclosed a sexual attraction to girls aged between eight and 10.
- This is not Lloyd's first brush with the law. In 2017, he was jailed for 26 months after police found 'paedophile manuals' in his possession—graphic documents guiding how to select, groom, gain trust, and sexually abuse children without detection. At that time, authorities also uncovered over 24,000 indecent images of children and extreme pornographic images involving animals.
- In August 2022, he received a suspended sentence for another SHPO breach involving around 2,000 images of unclothed animated female characters from video games. Despite completing mandated rehabilitative courses, Lloyd reoffended, prompting prosecutor Olivia Belle to describe his behaviour as 'persistent' and posing a 'serious risk of harm to children'.
Mitigating, defence barrister Jeremy Rawson emphasised Lloyd's frankness, early guilty plea, and ongoing mental health support in prison. He described Lloyd as a 'lonesome individual' who rarely leaves home, noting the 'perversion' and compulsion driving his actions, and expressed hope for further intervention post-release. Recorder Martine Snowdon, however, rejected any alternative to custody, stating: 'You understand that there is no alternative sentence today than one of imprisonment. You had a chance when you were given a suspended sentence in 2022. That makes this offending more serious. You have persistently breached orders of the court to allow you to indulge yourself in further offending behaviour.'
Lloyd was sentenced to two years' immediate imprisonment. His existing indefinite SHPO remains in place, and he must continue registering as a sex offender until 2029. The court approved the forfeiture of his seized devices. Following his 2017 conviction, Cheshire Police commented: 'Lloyd is an individual who had a clear and dangerous interest in children. Paedophiles cannot hide online. The internet leaves a digital footprint, and rest assured, we will find it, and we will take action. We take offences of this nature extremely seriously, and I hope that Lloyd’s time behind bars will allow him to reflect upon his actions.' This case underscores ongoing police vigilance in monitoring registered sex offenders to protect children from exploitation.