A Bryn-y-Baal paedophile, Matthew Hatfield, has been incarcerated after possessing 186 illicit pictures. During a routine inspection of Matthew Hatfield’s phone, cops discovered inappropriate photographs.
Matthew Hatfield, 46, acknowledged violating a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) – established following a prior offence – from August 2022 to March 2023 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Mould Crown Court today. He pleaded guilty to possessing forbidden photos of children from August 2021 to March 2023, resulting in a concurrent 12-month prison sentence.
Prosecutor Thomas McLoughlin stated that Matthew Hatfield, residing on Ffordd Ogwen, Bryn-y-Baal near Mould, was subjected to the SHPO in January 2019. You may register for the most recent court narratives here.
It indicated that he was forbidden from erasing his browser history. In March 2023, Police Constable Leanne Jones visited his residence to do a normal inspection of his equipment. She requested his phone, but he said he “couldn’t recall” its location, despite it being discovered on a bookcase.
The officer examined it and discovered “cartoon images,” which alarmed her, stated Mr. McLoughlin. The device was confiscated, and experts uncovered 186 photos predominantly featuring girls aged five to fourteen.
Additionally, six mobile applications for cleaning equipment were downloaded following August 2022. They were utilised to eliminate some illicit data.
A series of internet searches conducted by Hatfield were also revealed in court. The police interrogated Matthew Hatfield, who acknowledged that he was aware the photos were illicit, but contended that the searches were not.
He was uncertain whether the photographs had been viewed. He stated that he had conducted a search apparently for individuals over 18, although photographs of “younger individuals” had appeared.
Ben Stanley, the defence, stated that the defendant had learning disabilities, dyslexia, and Asperger’s syndrome. He also has a disorder known as Myotonic Dystrophy, which leads to muscle degeneration and cognitive impairment, with symptoms exacerbating between generations. He possesses a pacemaker in his heart as a result of dystrophy.
Matthew Hatfield resides with his parents, is unemployed, and experiences social isolation, he stated. The magistrate His Honour Timothy Petts informed Hatfield that he had been placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) but was discovered to have violated it during a 2023 inspection.
His phone has several device cleaning applications. The court said that a probation service assessment indicated he knows the repercussions of his actions but possesses inadequate understanding of its severity.
Upon his release from jail, Hatfield will be bound by the conditions of the SHPO and will furthermore be subject to sexual offender notification requirements for a duration of ten years. The judge mandated the confiscation of the cell phone.
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