Zoe Hardy

A high-risk registered sex offender, Zoe Hardy, has been sentenced to nine months in prison for repeatedly breaching Sexual Harm Prevention Orders (SHPOs) designed to prevent further sexual offences. Hardy, aged 24, who identifies as female and was referred to using female pronouns during the hearing, appeared in court under the name Luke Hardy but explained struggles with gender identity, sometimes feeling like Luke and other times like Lucy.

The case at Teesside Crown Court detailed Hardy's history of sexual offences. In 2022, Hardy received a community order after being sentenced for three counts of making indecent images of children, including eight of the most serious category, discovered on a mobile phone. This led to the imposition of the first SHPO, which prohibited certain online activities, including the use of unnotified aliases.

Breaches began in 2023 when Hardy deleted internet history and dating apps from the phone, violating the order's provisions. Later that year, Hardy registered on a pornography site using the alias 'Lucy' without informing police. Prosecuting barrister Saba Shan informed the court that the most recent breach occurred in July 2023, when Cleveland Police officers visited Hardy's home in Yarm Lane, Stockton, after designating Hardy a high-risk offender. Officers discovered the use of the name 'Zoe' on a dating app, an email account, and a mobile game, again without prior notification to authorities.

Hardy explained to police the challenges with sexuality and identity, but the court found the breaches to be persistent and deliberate. Judge Richard Clews stated during sentencing: 'It is appropriate to describe the breaches of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order as persistent and deliberate.' He imposed an eight-month custodial sentence for the SHPO breaches and activated an additional one-month term from previous suspended sentences, totalling nine months. The judge noted that no harm had been caused to others by these specific breaches. The case was reported by the PA News Agency and covered in UK media, highlighting ongoing efforts to manage high-risk offenders through preventive orders.