Porn pervert caught again

A SERIAL child porn pervert has been caught in the act again after a unannounced visit by police to his Sunderland home.

Robert Hart was caught breaching a sexual offence prevention order ( SOPO) which bans him from owning any equipment that can store digital images.

Officers visiting his home in The Royalty in March found a flash drive containing indecent photographs of children, Sunderland magistrates heard.

The 42- year- old was produced for the hearing, from HMP Durham, where he is currently on remand while awaiting sentence for similar offences.

He admitted breaching a SOPO, on March 16, as well as possessing an indecent photograph of a child on the same day.

Hart also pleaded guilty to three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child, one of which falls under Category A – the most serious – bracket, and two of Category C.

He was originally convicted after taking photos of girls walking to school and had a number of convictions for possessing indecent images of children.

And earlier this year he appeared in court for breaching the SOPO, when officers found a memory card at his home, containing secret video footage of children on the Metro. He was also in possession of two video cameras and an iPod.

Hart, said to have a ‘ substantial list of previous convictions’, had the five- year order imposed on him in December last year.

He had previously been remanded in custody, to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on July 28, and has already been told he faces a prison sentence.

The bench decided commit the new offences for sentence on the same day, so they can be dealt with together.

“Mr Hart has already appeared before this court in connection with very similar matters,” prosecutor Glenda Beck said. “He is in custody awaiting sentence for these matters.”

Magistrates remanded him in custody on the new offences, on the basis of the likelihood of him committing further offences.