'Cunning' pervert used East Lancashire internet cafe (From Lancashire Telegraph)

'Cunning' pervert used East Lancashire internet cafe

9:28am Tuesday 17th August 2010 in Briercliffe By Wendy Barlow, Court reporter

BACK IN JAIL: Russell Wilkinson

A ‘cunning’ pervert banned from having a home computer after downloading child porn is back behind bars for two and a half years for doing it again- this time in a public internet cafe.

Russell Wilkinson, 34, a former McDonald’s worker, was not allowed a computer with internet access as part of a five year sexual offences prevention order, imposed in 2008 for six offences of making indecent photos of teenage boys.

Police had discovered the images after they raided his then home in Clitheroe.

But, Burnley Crown Court heard, it didn’t deter the defendant, also prohibited from associating with children under 18, and he was arrested again and recalled to prison after a project worker in Brierfield, where the cafe was, alerted police.

Wilkinson had been on licence from an 18 month jail term for breaching the SOPO, imposed after he was seen playing with youngsters at an evangelical church where members had taken him under their wing.

Yesterday, the defendant, who had also flouted a supervision order, was virtually prohibited from using the internet, possibly for life, after admitting 14 counts of making indecent images of children, involving 25 pictures.

Wilkinson was slammed by a judge as ‘cunning’ after she said the level of determination he used to access the pictures was a great concern as he knew the SOPO was meant to stop him.

Judge Beverley Lunt said the defendant had also known he was subject to a three-year supervision order and had attended all sorts of courses to try and prevent his perverted conduct.

Wilkinson, of Bedford Street, Barrowford, was put on the sex offenders register again.

Judge Lunt made a new indefinite SOPO banning the defendant from owning, possessing or using a computer or mobile telephone with internet access, except for controlled use in a working environment with the knowledge of the police.

He was banned from working with children for life.

Members of the Inghamite Church at Fence last year said they would stand by Wilkinson after he breached the SOPO and some were said to have visited him in prison while he was on remand.

The minister, Rev Matthew Butler had told how the church was comm-itted to assisting him. Wilkinson had not been allowed to attend morning services after police told Mr Butler about his record.

Katherine Pierpoint, for Wilkinson, said he recognised the only sentence was custody.

The offences involved a small number of images.