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A convicted sex offender from County Durham has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after being caught with a hidden internet-enabled mobile phone, in breach of a court order designed to prevent him from reoffending. Grant Findley, 41, was discovered with the device during a police compliance visit in April.
During his appearance at Durham Crown Court, Findley presented an unusual defense, claiming he had been "hypnotised" by online conspiracy theories. He argued that he believed he was a "targeted individual" and needed the phone to research these theories, which included the belief that he was being tracked by shadowy organisations. His defense stated that his compulsive viewing of this content had led him to breach the stringent conditions of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which was imposed to manage his risk to the public.
The court heard that this was not Findley's first breach. He has a significant criminal history involving child sex offenses, including a 2016 conviction for making indecent images of children. His SHPO explicitly forbade him from possessing any device capable of accessing the internet without notifying police and having monitoring software installed. The phone found by officers had its SIM card and memory card removed.
Judge Richard Bennett dismissed Findley's claims, stating that while he may have an interest in conspiracy theories, it did not excuse his deliberate actions to deceive law enforcement and breach a court order. The judge emphasized the seriousness of the offense, highlighting that such orders are put in place to protect children and the wider public. Findley's history of non-compliance and previous convictions were key factors in the custodial sentence. The court was told Findley had shown a "flagrant disregard" for the orders, and his recent actions demonstrated that he continued to pose a risk. Prosecutors noted that his online activities, regardless of his stated motive, put him in a position where he could have easily returned to his previous offending patterns, a concern that underpinned the initial court order.
