A MONTGOMERYSHIRE man will be electronically tagged for four months after sending a string of messages to a woman over social media – breaching a sexual harm prevention order.
Guy Francis Jones, 36, sent Instagram messages to the 21-year-old female between June 13-14 last year, commenting after she’d shaved her head.
Welshpool Magistrates Court heard this week that Jones was prohibited from using social networking sites following a 2016 conviction at the same court for downloading indecent images of children.
He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order as a result, and pleaded guilty to breaching that order on Tuesday, January 12.
Prosecutor Helen Tench said Jones, of Llwyn Coch Barns, Bettws Cedewain, near Newtown, sent messages to a 21-year-old via Instagram.
In it, he made sexually suggestive comments – but she then discovered who he was.
“She Google’d him and found a press article, which read he shouldn’t be using social media.
The woman contacted police and the defendant was arrested.
“He confirmed he’d sent the comments but denied any sexual comments,” added Mrs Tench.
“This is a persistent breach – he contacted the victim several times, there were several comments. He is fully aware of the order, he just doesn’t agree with it.”
Owain Jones, acting for the defence, said: “I am at odds with my friend. I don’t see this as a persistent breach. It’s at odds with the charge.
“This offence was committed over a short timeframe; it is a minor breach in my opinion. It occurred in one day, a small number of times.”
Probation officer Julian Davies said: “He has an unusual and unhelpful attitude towards his order, he doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong.”
Chair of the bench, Susan Usmar ordered Jones to adhere to a new community order.
It also included a curfew between the hours of 8pm and 6am, for four months.
Magistrates ordered no compensation but Jones must pay £85 costs and a £95 surcharge.
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