May 2022
Child rapist recaged for having secret phone
A convicted child rapist is back behind bars after he was found with a secret mobile phone that contained indecent images of children days after he was released from prison
Carl Duthie, of Middlesbrough, was jailed in 2011 for a series of offences against boys, including rape.
Having served a six year prison sentence, he was locked up again after being found with indecent images of children in 2018 and spent a further four years behind bars.
On March 30 this year, the 32-year-old was released from prison and Teesside Crown Court heard how that very day he bought a mobile phone, which he later denied owning to his risk manager – thus breaching a sexual harm prevention order.
After a search of his room uncovered the phone, which had internet access and a number of dating apps, Duthie was arrested and told police he had been sent indecent images of children which he deleted.
Rachael Glover, prosecuting, said: “The defendant is a registered sex offender and in August 2018, following a conviction for indecent images of children and failing to comply with his notification requirements, he was given four years imprisonment extended by four years. He was released on 30 March this year.”
During a meeting on April 13, where Duthie said he was still waiting for a friend to give him a phone so he could contact his family, his risk manager received a call to say a search of his room had been carried out and they had uncovered a mobile. Duthie was then arrested.
“His room was searched and they found a phone – it was inside a jacket, wrapped in a carrier bag, on the top of his wardrobe,” said Ms Glover. “There were Snapchat notifications on the front of the phone and messages from Telegram, which is a messaging facility.
“The defendant was subsequently arrested and he was asked about this phone. In his interview, he admitted he had it and hadn’t notified the police.
“He bought it on the day he was released and had two sim cards and was able to access the internet. He had dating apps on the phone but told the officer he had no other social media.
“He went on to say he was talking to somebody on Telegram – this male he was speaking to asked him what age he liked. The defendant replied ‘younger’ and he subsequently received indecent images of children – which he told the officers were under 18, they were male.
“He said he had deleted those images.” The crown court, sitting at Teesside Magistrates Court, heard how the phone had been sent off for full, forensic examination.
Duthie, who was unrepresented in the hearing, told the court via video link at HMP Durham that the information given about the police interview was incorrect.
He said: “The police officer asked me, what did the man say and what did I say. I said I was into older and younger but I didn’t give an age. I didn’t ask for the indecent images I was expecting photos of the person I was talking to not of other people.”
He said he took “full responsibility” for not telling officers he had a phone.
Judge Peter Armstrong said: “The phone was used to access the internet and Snapchat. The risk is that can lead to serious harm but in this case you only had the phone for 13 days, you admitted straight away what you had done and that is to your credit.
“It is an offence which is so serious that only custody can be justified for it and immediate custody at that.”
Duthie was jailed for eight months.
August 2018
Child rapist back behind bars after twice being caught with sick indecent images of boys
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