A SEX offender from Rugby has been arrested and charged after police reported finding indecent images of children on an electronic device.
Detectives arrested Marcus Hicks, 22, of Balcombe Road on February 29.
Hicks was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Orders (SHPO), meaning he had to make his electronic devices available to detectives for inspection upon request.
Hicks was charged with one count each of failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders register and breaching a SHPO, and three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child.
The arrest, part of a week of police action, was led by officers from Warwickshire Police’s Sex Offender Management Unit, who visit convicted sex offenders to check they are abiding by the terms of their SHPOs.
Most people convicted of a sexual offence in Warwickshire are now made subject to an SHPO – a court order which prevents a person from engaging in a particular activity – the terms of which are linked to the nature of the offences he or she has been convicted of.
This can include restrictions on access to electronic devices and contact with children.
Det Insp Gavin Wallwork from the Warwickshire Police Offender Management Unit said: “The thought of convicted sex offenders living in the community understandably makes people feel uneasy, but once they have served their sentence, they have every right to rebuild their lives in the community.
“This is where we come in, and hopefully local people can be reassured by how closely my team monitors their activity and how quickly we arrest people who breach the terms of their SHPO.
“SHPOs are extremely powerful tools, and sex offenders know that we will be breathing down their necks to check they are complying with them.
“As well as enforcement, we also have a role to play in ensuring sex offenders are integrating back into the community. It has been shown that sex offenders are less likely to reoffend if they have a job, a steady income, interests, and social groups. It is when they start to become isolated and feel worthless that they are likely to reoffend.
“This week of action is about giving the public a snapshot of what we do every week of the year – keeping tabs on convicted sex offenders and ensuring they don’t pose a risk to our communities.”
