A convicted sex offender who used specialist software to download images of children being abused has been jailed for almost three years.
Carlisle Crown Court heard of Lloyd James Christopher Ditchburn’s disturbing past as he was sentenced today for fresh offences.
In 2014 as a juvenile, Ditchburn was punished for distributing indecent images of youngsters.
Then, in 2020, came a conviction for making more perverted pictures and outraging public decency as he committed a crime known as up-skirting.
Further illegal activity came to light on September 1 last year during a routine meeting between him, his probation officer and a detective constable tasked with risk monitoring.
When the detective asked for Ditchburn’s phone he discovered that software to disguise his IP address was being used.
This was in breach of a sexual harm prevention order imposed for past crimes.
So, too, was 24-year-old Ditchburn’s use of social media — specifically a platform used by children as it had no age requirements.
He had accessed a group called schoolgirls 12-18 after turning his phone on to incognito mode, and disabled police monitoring software which had earlier crashed.
Ditchburn, of Vulcans Lane, Workington, had further downloaded two indecent images of children classed in category A — the most serious — and eight in category C.
He admitted two order breaches and making the illegal pictures.
The court heard Ditchburn had been in custody since September but hadn’t begun rehabilitation work due to the pandemic. He was willing to engage.
But Judge Nicholas Barker noted that previous offers of help had not been taken, and jailed him for 32 months.
“It is clear to me that you have an underlying and deeply unhealthy attitude to children as objects of sexual desire,” said the judge.
Ditchburn must now sign the sex offenders’ register for life.
After the sentencing, a spokesman from the West Cumbria Management of Sexual and Violent Offenders Unit, said: “The conditions of Ditchburn’s sexual harm prevention order were clear.
“The order stipulated that that he must not access a private browsing mode on any mobile phone or internet-enabled device, so our officers could manage the risk he posed.
“After initially being arrested for the breach, we uncovered indecent images of children of the most serious category on Ditchburn’s phone.
“Members of the public can be reassured that detectives within our teams across the county take a zero-tolerance approach to enforcing court orders which are set out to prevent offending.
“Our officers manage registered sex offenders through the use of notification requirements, civil orders which carry stringent restrictions, risk assessment tools and risk management plans. We are proactive to ensure that positive action is taken against offenders who fail to comply with the strict restrictions placed on them.”
