Dominic Jones

Dominic Jones, a 28-year-old man from Gwynedd, North Wales, was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment at Caernarfon Crown Court on 14 April 2025 for twice breaching his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO). The SHPO had been imposed following his earlier conviction for possessing indecent images of children and attempting sexual communication with a child.

Jones was released from custody on 15 August 2024 after admitting to those prior sexual offences. As part of his sentence, he received the SHPO, which prohibited him from deleting his internet history and from using social media accounts without prior police approval. These restrictions were designed to prevent further risk of harm related to his offending behaviour.

On 5 September 2024, during a routine compliance check at his home by a police officer and probation officer, authorities discovered gaps in his internet history and evidence of unauthorised use of social media platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and Discord. Jones was warned about these breaches and the terms of the SHPO were explicitly explained to him.

Despite the warning, a follow-up visit approximately one month later revealed that Jones had continued to access Facebook and Instagram, and had also used an encrypted file-sharing application. Additionally, searches on the Google Play Store for private web browsers such as Tor, DuckDuckGo, and MEGA were found on his devices, indicating deliberate attempts to circumvent monitoring.

Prosecutor Elen Owen described the breaches as clearly deliberate and highlighted a very real risk of harm posed by Jones's actions. In mitigation, defence representative Amy Edwards noted Jones's early guilty pleas and his acceptance of responsibility. She explained that Jones had accessed Facebook due to receiving threats and was checking for further ones, emphasising that he had no prior convictions before his 2024 imprisonment and had not breached the SHPO since these incidents. The court also heard that Jones has neurodiverse needs, cognitive limitations, dyslexia, and dyspraxia, and he was supported by his father during the hearing.

Sentencing Judge Timothy Petts remarked that Jones didn’t learn from the initial warning, stating: These are two offences, after warnings, and not long after the order was imposed. I understand why you were online, in terms of looking for threats against you, but you went about it the wrong way. A deprivation order was also issued in respect of Jones’s phone to prevent further misuse. The case was reported by the North Wales Chronicle, with details confirmed through court proceedings at Caernarfon Crown Court.