'You've been warned' - Sex offender, 74, caught breaching sexual harm prevention order at Preston Crown Court
He was told he had only escaped being sent down because he had a number of significant health issues.
A 74-year-old sex offender has been warned he is standing on the threshold of prison after being given a third chance by a judge.
William Monaghan avoided jail yet again when he appeared in Preston Crown Court this week for breaching a sexual harm prevention order.
He was told he had only escaped being sent down because he had a number of significant health issues.
Monaghan, who struggled to walk into court using a stick, admitted he had breached the SHPO twice in the space of a month.
The seven-year order was initially made by a judge in May 2024 after he pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He avoided jail for the first time by being given a suspended prison sentence.
Prosecuting barrister Tom Challinor told the court the order prohibited Monaghan from installing specific apps on his mobile phone and devices and restricted his access to the internet.
But in January this year it was discovered during a routine check he had breached the order. He was found to have installed an email address without informing the police.
Despite breaching his suspended sentence order he was spared prison and only fined before being warned about any future breaches.
But Mr Challinor said that when police officers made another routine visit to his home in Links Road, Knott End, a month later in February they discovered he had installed an app on his phone which had also not been authorised.
He had accessed the app 14 times during a 17-day period and a further examination of the device discovered he had also been searching for similar apps.
Barrister Janet Ironfield, defending, said there was no evidence to suggest Monaghan had collected any images from the app or made any contact with anyone using it.
She urged Judge Darren Preston to be lenient and issue a community order instead of an immediate prison sentence.
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Judge Preston told Monaghan that he had been given the SHPO in May 2024 for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
This was the second breach of that order and he had been found to have installed an app which he had used 14 times to delete his data.
“This is not your first time,” he told him. “In January you were fined for creating a new email address you didn’t declare (to police). You are still subject to a suspended sentence order.
“I don’t buy for a second you didn’t do it deliberately. You clearly did. But there is no evidence to say you communicated with anyone on there.
“You have attended appointments and (suffered) discomfort by your health problems.
“But if you keep breaching the order you will go to jail. There is no doubt about that. But I don’t think you need to on this occasion because of (your) health issues.”
He fined him £200 and imposed a new community order in which he has to attend up to 15 rehabilitation activity days.
He told Monaghan: “Stop doing stupid things or you will end up in jail. You have been warned.”