Steven Blade

Steven Blade, a 35-year-old registered sex offender from Peterborough, has been sentenced to prison for multiple breaches of court orders designed to protect the public, particularly children, from his potential harm.

In 2022, Blade was convicted of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, resulting in the imposition of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and Sex Offender Notification Requirements (SONR). These measures mandated that he notify police within three days of any changes to his personal circumstances and report any contact with children under 18 lasting at least 12 hours.

The breaches came to light in August when the Management of Sexual or Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) team, responsible for overseeing compliance among such individuals, attempted several visits to Blade's home in Manton, Bretton, Peterborough. Unable to locate him, the team investigated further and discovered he had been staying at a holiday park in Yorkshire, where he had contact with children under 18, directly violating his SHPO. Additional investigations revealed he had purchased a device capable of internet access and created a new email address without informing the police, constituting further failures under the SONR.

Blade was arrested at his home in Manton, Bretton, and subsequently admitted to the breaches. At Cambridge Crown Court on 29 October, he pleaded guilty to one count of breaching the SHPO and five counts of failing to comply with sex offender register notifications. He was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison.

Detective Constable Faye Patterson, who led the investigation for Cambridgeshire Constabulary, commented: 'Blade understood that what he was doing was wrong but did it anyway. He also showed a clear disregard for the conditions of his court order, which are in place to protect the public, and most importantly, children.' She emphasised the MOSOVO team's role in preventing further offending through regular, unplanned checks, stating: 'This case highlights the lengths we will take to ensure that this happens.'

The case underscores the ongoing enforcement of protective orders against sex offenders in the UK, with Cambridgeshire Constabulary highlighting resources like Sarah's Law for public inquiries into potential risks posed by individuals with access to children.