Peter Selby

Peter Selby, a 71-year-old man from South Shields, was back in court after admitting to breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) just nine months after it was imposed. In June 2022, Selby was sentenced to a 14-month prison term, suspended for two years, after being found with over 125,000 child abuse images.

As part of his sentence, he was ordered to sign the sex offenders register and adhere to a SHPO, which prohibited him from using private browsing or VPN software for ten years. However, in March 2023, during a routine risk review, police discovered that Selby had downloaded and activated VPN software on his laptop, violating the terms of his SHPO. Although no illegal activity or images were found on the device, the breach led to further legal proceedings.

Judge Robert Adams noted that the use of VPN software could be used to mask internet identity or IP address when accessing sites on the internet, which was a requirement of the SHPO to prevent re-offending.

Selby was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with program and rehabilitation requirements, plus a £100 fine.