In 2019, the Offender Database reported that George Hinchcliffe, then 21, of John Berrysford Close, Chaddesden, Derby, was sentenced at Derby Crown Court. Hinchcliffe was jailed after repeatedly violating a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) designed to protect children following his previous conviction for sex offences against a nine-year-old girl.
The court heard that Hinchcliffe was initially handed the SHPO in June 2015. Under its strict conditions, he was legally barred from living at any address with anyone under the age of 16. He was prohibited from being in the company of children unless their parents or guardians were fully informed of his criminal history. However, between 2017 and 2018, Hinchcliffe integrated himself into social circles with families, attending parties and celebrations where children were present without disclosing his past.
The prosecution, led by Julia King, detailed how Hinchcliffe had stayed overnight at houses where children lived and allowed children to play with him at social gatherings. The most serious breach occurred in September 2018, when it was discovered that Hinchcliffe had been left alone to babysit a child. When confronted, Hinchcliffe admitted he had not told the families about his status, claiming he was “embarrassed” to disclose his conviction.
Police discovered the extent of his deception after analysing his mobile phone, which contained text messages confirming he had been in the company of minors. Judge Jonathan Bennett, who presided over the case, condemned Hinchcliffe’s actions, noting that the order existed specifically to protect young girls from predators like him. He stated that Hinchcliffe was “quite prepared to breach an order” for his own convenience.
George Hinchcliffe pleaded guilty to seven counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order. He was sentenced to 22 months in a young offender’s institution. He remains on the sex offenders register and is subject to continued monitoring upon his release.
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