Sex offender breached order

A CONVICTED sex offender was caught in breach of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) when a friend unwittingly brought her child to his home, a court heard.

Gary Crook-Koncz, of Blackburn Road, Great Harwood, was convicted in June 2015 of sexual activity of a child and was given a 10-year order and police notification requirements.

The order banned the 25-year-old from having any child under the age of 16 in his home without the permission of the of the child’s parent or guardian, who must be aware of his convictions, and with the ‘express approval’ of local social services.

Burnley Crown Court heard how when Crook-Koncz’s probation officer contacted him over the phone he overheard a child in the background.

When the defendant was challenged about it he said it was a child passing outside. However when police later attended his home he admitted being in breach of the order by allowing a child into his home.

Daniel Prowse, prosecuting, told the court how a friend of Crook-Koncz had attended his home on two occasions with her child, the first for 10 minutes and then on a second occasion for five minutes to borrow some money.

Mr Prowse said the friend had known Crook-Koncz for 18 years ‘but he had never told her about his conviction’ and if she had known ‘she never would have let the child into his address’. The prosecutor said the friend was also left ‘very disappointed in him’.

The court heard how Crook-Koncz also breached his police notification requirements by failing to notify them of bank account details.

Robert Elias, defending, said there was ‘no potential harm at all [to the child]’ and it was ‘entirely innocent with the mother’s visit to get some money off him’.

He told the court: “He stupidly thought everybody knew about [his conviction] because it was on Facebook and the internet. I hope this is a lesson he will not forget.”

The court heard how Crook-Koncz had been remanded in custody for around six weeks.

Judge Jonathan Gibson sentenced him to 12 weeks in prison, however he told Crook-Koncz that he should be released straight away as it was the equivalent to what he had spent on remand.

He was also handed a separate four-week curfew requirement.