A 70-year-old man, Ian Rimmer, was caught breaching a court order by searching for ‘Lolita’-type adult pornography on his smart television that was linked to the internet. The court at Swansea heard that Rimmer failed to disclose the smart TV in violation of the court order designed to monitor his online activities. Although the material he accessed was not illegal, the judge reminded him to adhere to the terms of the court order. Rimmer, who has a history of viewing child sexual abuse images, is subject to a life-long sexual harm prevention order that requires him to register any internet-enabled devices with the police.
Prosecutors stated that police notifications flagged Rimmer’s activity on a legal adult site, ‘dadcrush’, and upon investigation, his smart TV was found to have been used exclusively to search for sexual material related to incest and Lolita role-playing content. Despite owning the TV for 12 years, Rimmer had never disclosed it to the authorities, claiming he did not think it required reporting as it did not facilitate easy browsing.
Appearing in court for breaching the sexual harm prevention order, Rimmer received a 24-month community order. He was also mandated to participate in a Horizon sex offenders program, undergo rehabilitation, and perform 50 hours of unpaid community work. The judge warned him that continued monitoring by the police and courts would ensue, emphasizing the consequences should he search for prohibited content online. The sexual harm prevention order remains in effect to prevent further breaches.