August 2023

‘Lonely’ sex offender illegally used Carlisle Library computer

A “predatory” sex offender is back behind bars after breaking a court order that restricts his internet use – by using a Carlisle Library computer

Gerald Wilson, 67, who has previously committed a similar offence, was given the indefinite sexual harm prevention order as part of jail term imposed for child sex offences, including sexual activity with children.

He admitted flouting the order by registering at Carlisle Library to use the computers without first seeking permission from the police.

The city’s crown court heard that Wilson, formerly of Ulverston but more recently living at Chatsworth Square, Carlisle, volunteered his decision to register at Carlisle Library to use the computers with his police offender manager.

The court heard that Wilson must have known he was breaching his sexual harm prevention order when he joined the library.

Andrew Evans, defending, said Wilson accepted that he had “made a mistake.” The barrister said: “What he did was go to the library and ask if they had monitoring software.” The only reason that the offence came to light was the defendant’s decision to reveal what he had done to the police, said Mr Evans.

The police were entirely able to go to the library and check what use the defendant had made of the computers, said Mr Evans.  The barrister added: “He plans to do thing better next time and he apologises.”

Judge Nicholas Barker said the computers used by Wilson in June or July of this year did no have the necessary monitoring software and that was why it was a breach of the sexual harm prevention order.

“It’s for the defendant, the individual subject to these orders, to understand them and to take great care and the reason that is important to take great care is that you are the person who deals with the consequences of a breach,” the judge told Wilson.

Judge Barker accepted that it was Wilson who volunteered the necessary information to the police and that there had been a valid reason for what he had done – a desire to sort out council tax arrears.

But he had failed to take the necessary care.

The judge added that the sexual harm prevention order would continue as before since it is indefinite. If Wilson had any doubts about the legality of what he planned to do in future, he should speak to his offender manager.

The defendant, currently recalled to complete an earlier sentence, was jailed for five months. The court order was originally imposed by Preston Crown Court in 2017.

When he last breached the order, the defendant’s lawyer told the court he committed the offence because he was lonely, saying: “He instructions to me are that Christmas last year was a very, very difficult time for him.

“It was his first Christmas in 65 years that he had spent alone, with his family in the south part of the Lake District. He was in Carlisle, on antidepressants and alone. His response to the sexual harm prevention order was a consequence of coming off those drugs and because of the isolation he felt.

“But he knows what he has done was wrong.”

At the time of his original case 2017 sentencing in 2017, when Wilson was jailed for six years, a police officer said: “Wilson is a predator who used numerous online chatrooms and social media apps to engage, groom and sexually assault children.”

August 2017

Ulverston paedophile jailed and put on sex offender register for life

A paedophile from Ulverston has been locked up for six years after admitting a string of child sex offences.

Gerard Philip Wilson, 61, of Urswick Road was sentenced yesterday at Preston Crown Court for the following offences:

Two counts of attempt to engage in sexual activity in presence of a child;

Adult meeting a child following grooming;

Three counts of sexual activity with a child;

Cause/incite a child to engage in sexual activity;

Attempt to cause/incite a child to engage in sexual activity;

Attempt to cause a child to watch/look at an image of sexual activity;

Three counts of making indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child;

Three counts of distributing an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child

Wilson pleaded guilty to all offences at an earlier court appearance.

Wilson has also been placed on the sexual offender register indefinitely and received an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Wilson’s offending came to light after he contacted an undercover police officer who he believed was a child.

He was subsequently arrested and the Constabulary’s Digital Media Investigation Unit conducted inquiries on devices belonging to Wilson which uncovered the scale of his offending between 2013 and 2017.