A convicted sex offender failed to register an online user name with police has been told to get help or face prison time.

Blackburn Magistrates' Court heard the account was discovered when officers went to Andrew Harper’s home to carry out a routine compliance visit in September 2022.

Examination of a device showed he had been using the account to access online pornography and District Judge Alexandra Preston said he clearly had “an unhealthy obsession with online pornography.”

Harper, 45, of Cranbrook Avenue, Oswaldtwistle, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders' register.

District Judge Preston said Harper had previous convictions for breaching the requirements and would have known “perfectly well” what was required.

“Not only did you not register the account name you used it to access pornographic material,” she said.

“I don’t accept this was an oversight. You clearly have an unhealthy obsession with online pornography and you knew exactly what you were supposed to do.”

Henry Prescott, prosecuting, said Harper had been convicted of making indecent images of children in 2014 and 2018.

“Since then he has been subject to the sex offenders register requirements and a sexual harm prevention order,” said Mr Prescott.

“To monitor his compliance he is regularly visited and devices examined.”

Harper admitted using the unregistered account name to view sex sites and that had been for about a month.

“He said the failure to register had been an oversight but the Crown say this was a deliberate failure to comply,” said Mr Prescott.

Jonathan Taylor, mitigating, said there were no illegal images on his client’s devices and his viewing of pornography sites had not been illegal.

“Hopefully, if a prison sentence is required, it can be suspended to allow him to work with the Probation Service towards rehabilitation,” said Mr Taylor.

Harper was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, with 30 days rehabilitation activity requirement and 150 hours unpaid work.

He was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £154 victim surcharge.