Last chance for Northampton paedophile, 25, to address offending after being caught with sexual images of children

A Northampton paedophile was given his last chance to address his offending after being caught with prohibited sexual images of children.

Jake Rolph had 21 pictures of children engaging in sexual activity on a laptop police seized after finding it had been tampered with, in breach of his court order.

The 25-year-old, of Denston Close, was sentenced to 13 months in prison, suspended for two years, and 250 hours of unpaid work at Northampton Crown Court today (Wednesday, July 28).

Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking QC said: "I think the public's protection would be greater if he worked with the Probation Service.

"But it's his last possible chance as if he does this again there would be no point and we might as well lock him up."

Rolph was given a sexual harm prevention order in 2017 after being convicted for harassment, which limited his use of electronic devices.

On September 26, 2018, a police officer found they could not access certain files on the defendant's laptop about the complainant in the 2017 case so they seized it.

As well as the prohibited pictures, police found six images had been created and deleted plus block downloading and peer-to-peer software on the reformatted device, Caroline Bradley, prosecuting, told the court.

Rolph also had a new bank card which he had not told police about, a further breach of his sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Lucking said he had tampered with his computer 'to hide his tracks' and knew the software was often used for sharing large quantities of pornographic material.

"I'm very concerned with his fascination with certain types of pornography which is very worrying and the content of that," she said.

"An immediate custodial sentence means he would be out in around six months but a suspended sentence would mean the Probation Service could work with him.

"He couldn't complain if I made this sentence an immediate custodial one.

"He's 25, he was 21 when the first order was imposed, clearly he's breached this and done this as he's accessed material he's been prohibited from accessing."

As well as the suspended sentence and unpaid work, Rolph will also be on the sex offenders register for 10 years and have a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.