A convicted sex offender who breached a strict court order by using software which allowed him to surf the internet in “stealth mode” has been handed another prison sentence.
Carlisle Crown Court heard today that 65-year-old James Bilsland McGill had been sentenced in 2007 for serious sex crimes.
As part of his punishment, he was made subject to the terms of a sexual offences prevention order. Some were imposed to restrict and regulate his online access and to ensure police-approved monitoring software was installed on his devices.
He breached the order in both 2015 and 2019 by having illegal contact with young children, and had received additional prison sentences for that.
In December, 2020, forensic analysis of a laptop revealed he had used software both to delete online use history and surf the web while in “stealth mode”, meaning he was not visible or identifiable.
Then, in April this year, he further flouted the order by using an internet-accessible computer at Maryport Library.
McGill, of High Street, Maryport, had been frank about his latest offending with police when interviewed. He admitted two order breaches and had since been recalled on licence to prison until November.
Imposing a 14-month jail term for the latest crimes, Judge Nicholas Barker called McGill’s order breaching “deliberate”.
