February 23, 2021 2.11 pm This story is over 37 months old

Sex offender who set up fake Facebook profile avoids jail

He admitted to breaking a court order
| Photo: Adobe Stock

A pensioner from Louth who set up a Facebook account using a false name has been given a suspended jail sentence after admitting breaking a court order.

Conditions imposed on 73-year-old Norman Valentine as part of being placed on the sex offenders’ register for earlier offences meant he was banned from using any alias unless he informed police.

Lucia Harrington, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that the offence came to light when Valentine was visited by his risk manager in November 2019.

Miss Harrington said “The risk manager looked at a tablet device which Valentine had in his possession. The internet history showed he had been using Facebook for about two years.

“The name he used on Facebook was Kamiti Kamau. He said he didn’t realise he had to notify the police of this name.

“The Crown say this was a deliberate failure to comply with the registration requirements.”

The tablet was checked by police who found five indecent images of children.

Valentine was interviewed by officers and said he had set up the Facebook account so that he could keep in contact with his daughter.

The court was told that Valentine was placed on the sex offenders register in 2016 for a previous offence of making indecent images of children.

Norman Valentine, 73, of Station Road, Legbourne, admitted breaching the requirements of his registration on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

He also admitted two charges of making an indecent image of a child.

Valentine was given an eight-month jail sentence suspended for two years with up to 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was placed on the sex offenders register for seven years and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. An order was also made for the forfeiture and destruction of his tablet.

Tom Sherrington, in mitigation, said that Valentine had not realised that using a different name on a Facebook account was classified as using an alias.

He said Valentine was worried that his daughter would suffer online abuse if people realised that she was related to him knew of his previous conviction.

“He set up the account using a false name and did that on his own volition.”

Mr Sherrington said that Valentine has health problems and urged that any prison sentence should be suspended.