Locations
Straker Street, Hartlepool, TS26
Description
Lewis Cooper, 25, from Hartlepool, was added to the sex offenders’ register in 2023 after his conviction for possessing indecent images of children.
This required him to notify police of any plans to travel abroad. However, in May this year, UK Border Force informed authorities of his return from a two-week trip to Jakarta, surprising police.
Prosecutor Nicci Horton told Teesside Crown Court that the Indonesian capital is a destination “of concern” due to risks to children from traveling British sex offenders. When visited at home, Cooper repeatedly denied having a passport until confronted with proof. Photos on his phone showed him with a young woman and children.
Cooper pleaded guilty to four counts of failing to comply with notification requirements. He had also used online aliases and deleted an Instagram account without informing police.
Defense lawyer Michael Cahill cited a “lack of understanding” of the rules, noting Cooper’s role as carer for his stepfather and arguing that his “underlying issues” from the prior offense could be better addressed in the community than in prison.
But Recorder Nathan Adams stated: “The notification requirements were clear.” He called the Jakarta trip “particularly concerning.” Cooper, of Straker Street, was jailed for 24 months.