David Standley 32

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Sex Offender Breaches SHPO Twice Before Voluntarily Surrendering to Police

David Standley, 32, of Westbourne Street, Stockton, breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order on two occasions before handing himself in to officers, telling them custody was the safest place for him.

Standley appeared via video link from HMP Holme House at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday for sentencing on two counts of breaching the SHPO and possession of cannabis. The court heard that his mental health had deteriorated sharply at the time of the breaches.

In September 2021, Standley – then of Redcar – was caught communicating with someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl. In reality, it was a 50-year-old decoy from the undercover group Angels of Innocence. He sent an explicit image of himself and suggested she travel by train so they could “have sex in the woods”. He pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and was jailed for three years and two months, plus the SHPO.

In March this year he breached the order by factory resetting his mobile phone and discarding it.

Sentencing, Judge Jonathan Carroll described the case as “exceptionally unusual”.

He told Standley:

“You were going through a personal crisis and for whatever reason committed two offences of breaching a sexual harm prevention order. You immediately reported what you had done to police as you felt the only safe place you could be was prison. You did that because you recognised a decline in your mental health and [could] have committed violent offences.”

The judge imposed a six-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, to allow Standley to address his underlying issues. He must also complete 90 rehabilitation activity days and a 26-day programme.