A registered sex offender once dubbed a predator by police has been given another prison sentence — for using computers at Carlisle Library.
Gerard Philip Wilson, now 67, was given a six-year jail term in 2017 for a raft of online child sex crimes which emerged after he contacted an undercover police officer he had believed was a youngster.
Wilson was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register and comply with a prevention order which remains in force indefinitely and places strict curbs on his internet use.
Since then Wilson, previously of Ulverston and latterly of Chatsworth Square, Carlisle, has found himself in hot water for flouting the order.
In June last year, he was found to have deleted web history from a computer and installed software designed to hide what he did online. He blamed being lonely at Christmas and feeling depressed, but was jailed for 10 months by a judge.
Wilson was handed another prison term at Carlisle Crown Court today for offending which came to light earlier this summer and amounted to his third breach of the order.
He had registered to use computer equipment at the city centre library which was not fitted with police-approved monitoring software — as is required by the order.
Police learned of this illegal activity from Wilson himself as he admitted what he had done.
Wilson’s barrister, Andrew Evans, said the latest breach occurred as the defendant sought to get back up to speed having fallen into home utility arrears with companies while in custody, and as he tried to deal with a car which had been taken out of county.
“The defendant says he has made a mistake here,” said Mr Evans. “I would submit there was little chance he was looking at anything illicit online because he would have been discovered straight away.”
Wilson admitted breaching the order again, and was jailed for five months by Judge Nicholas Barker, who warned him about his future conduct. “Anything to do with phones, internet, anything of that sort, you are on notice,” said the judge.
“Do not do anything unless you have considered the requirements and prohibitions of your order.”
