The Sentinel

PERVERT SENT SEX PICS TO MAN AFTER RELEASE FROM PRISON

He also broke rules by setting up false Facebook accounts

- Sentinel Reporter newsdesk@thesentine­l.co.uk

A SEX offender who was jailed for grooming teenage girls has been back in court for breaking rules imposed on his release.

Liam Proudman, above right, was sentenced to three years in a young offenders institutio­n in 2018 for having sexual online chats with the three victims – and subsequent­ly warning one girl to ‘drop the charges’ against him.

Having been released, he set up six social media accounts in false names and sent unwanted sexual videos and photos of his genitals to a male ‘acquaintan­ce’ on Snapchat.

Proudman, now aged 23, also started a new relationsh­ip without telling police, which brought him into contact with a three-year-old girl. He is banned from doing either under the restrictio­ns placed on him following his previous conviction.

Stoke-on-trent Crown Court heard Proudman sent sexual photos and videos after contacting an acquaintan­ce on Facebook. Prosecutor Rosemary Proctor said: “The defendant contacted the male using an account in the name of Liam Smith. The two exchanged messages.

“The conversati­on moved to Snapchat. The defendant started to send masturbati­on videos and photos of his penis. It was reported to the police.”

In October, police carried out a check at Proudman’s home and found he had two mobile phones. Miss Proctor said: “He told police a Sony phone was his girlfriend’s. It transpired he had been in a relationsh­ip for a week.

“He had attended a meal with her and her family at a pub restaurant and a three-year-old female relative had been present. The defendant had not notified the police that he had entered into a relationsh­ip.”

Proudman, of Yarnbrook Grove, Norton, pleaded guilty to two breached of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and failing to comply with the notificati­on requiremen­ts of the Sex Offenders Register.

Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said: “The defendant wants to comply with the orders and be clear of offending. They are causing issues where he lives. He has already served the equivalent of a 14-month sentence on remand.”

Due to the length of time Proudman has been in custody on remand, Recorder Francesca Levett decided to sentence him to a community order.

She said: “There was a clear and deceitful attempt to breach your notificati­on requiremen­ts. The fact you had six Facebook accounts in false names is clearly an aggravatin­g factor.

“You have served longer in prison than you would have done had you been sentenced in November. I’m sorry that matters could not be dealt with sooner.”

Proudman was handed an 18-month community order with a six-month monitoring requiremen­t and a 30-day rehabilita­tion activity requiremen­t.

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