A convicted paedophile from Darwen has been back in court after admitting to breaching his sexual harm prevention order by having unregistered electronic devices.

Alan Oakshott, 53, of Blackburn Road, Darwen, appeared at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to the breach.

The court heard how Oakshott had the SHPO imposed on him after previous convictions for child sex offences.

The first came in 2018 when he was caught by a vigilante paedophile hunter group sending sexually explicit messages to accounts he thought belonged to girls aged between 12 and 14.

For this he was sentenced to two years and four months in prison and had to sign the sex offenders' register for a decade, and had a SHPO imposed.

At the most recent hearing on Wednesday, January 31, the court heard how on July 6, 2023, police searched Oakshott's home to ensure he was not in breach of his sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecutor Matthew Conway said Oakshott handed over his mobile phone, and told police he had no other electronic devices that could access the internet, a condition of his prevention order.

However during the search of Oakshott's home officers found unregistered electronic devices, including two televisions and two computers.

While there were no indecent images of children found on the devices, as these unregistered devices could access the internet, this was a direct breach of Oakshott's order.

In mitigation, Phil Holden told the court Oakshott's early guilty plea should be considered by the court.

He also emphasised there were no indecent images actually found by the police.

He said: "Mr Oakshott has been working with social services and is willing to work with the relevant people in line with his previous offences."

Judge Ian Unsworth KC sentenced Oakshott to 12 months in custody.

He said: "I am satisfied to say that this is a direct breach of your order in 2022, and cannot impose anything other than an immediate custodial sentence.

"However, with the help of others, it is clear you are working on yourself with the help provided and I give you lenience for your early guilty plea."