In 2024, the Offender Database reported that Anthony Cox, then 60, of Part Street, Blaina, Blaenau Gwent, was remanded in custody facing another jail term. On Thursday, 4 April 2024, the defendant appeared at Cardiff Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
The investigation established that between 13 March 2023 and 28 June 2023, Cox failed to notify the police within the required three-day window that he had installed Facebook and Messenger on a digital device. Additionally, the prosecution reported that he had “dishonestly” maintained access to two separate Facebook accounts in direct violation of his court-mandated restrictions. Cox was already known to authorities, having been sentenced to 20 months in prison in April 2022 for a similar “reprehensible” breach of his orders.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Cox’s criminal history includes a prior conviction for flashing, which marks him as a persistent “serious” offender. James Evans, prosecuting, emphasised that the defendant’s failure to report his digital activity was a “reprehensible” attempt to bypass the monitoring meant to protect the public in Blaina. The judge noted tha,t given his “serious” history of non-compliance, a further custodial sentence was likely.
The judge noted that the case was adjourned until 9 May 2024 to allow for a full sentencing hearing. In the meantime, Cox was remanded in custody to ensure he could not continue his “vile” digital activities or pose a further risk to the community in Blaenau Gwent. The prosecution emphasised that the strict notification requirements of an SHPO are “serious” tools designed to provide transparency, which Cox “dishonestly” sought to avoid.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in Wales, Anthony Cox faced the following at Cardiff Crown Court:
- Status: Remanded in custody (as of April 2024).
- Convictions: Pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
- Prior Record: 20-month sentence in 2022 for similar breaches; previous conviction for exposure (flashing).
- Sex Offenders Register: Subject to ongoing notification requirements.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Cox is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Gwent Police and the Probation Service. Due to his “serious” and repetitive failure to comply with digital restrictions in Blaina, his management in Blaenau Gwent is subject to oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Cox must comply with mandatory notification requirements regarding his residence in Part Street, Blaina, Blaenau Gwent. Authorities state that his history of “dishonestly” using Facebook and Messenger makes him a “serious” priority for digital monitoring. Any “reprehensible” breach of his registration conditions or future court orders will result in his immediate arrest and return to Cardiff Crown Court.
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