In 2019, the Offender Database reported that John McDonald, then 41, of Warwick Street, Ayresome, Middlesbrough, was jailed for three years and branded a “dangerous man” by a judge. McDonald, a former playgroup volunteer, appeared at Teesside Crown Court after admitting to “vile” and “vicious” fantasies involving the abduction, rape, and murder of children.
The investigation revealed that McDonald had a “serious” history of predatory behaviour, having been jailed in 2015 for molesting a schoolboy. Following his release in 2016, he was recalled to prison after “callously” confessing to probation officers that he fantasised about snatching a five-year-old child from the street, taking them to a derelict house, and raping them. He even identified a specific area near an Asda in South Bank, Middlesbrough, where he imagined “raping and ultimately strangling a child to death.”
Breach of Sexual Harm Prevention Order
Despite his “disturbing” thoughts, McDonald was released again in June 2018. During an unannounced visit by detectives in November of that year, he became “flustered” when asked to present his tablet for inspection. Digital forensic officers discovered that McDonald had “dishonestly” deleted a large number of internet cookies, directly flouting his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which banned him from clearing his history.
The forensic examination of the device uncovered more than 2,000 pages of web history, including searches suggesting a sexual attraction to children and incest. McDonald reportedly cried during the search, “vilely” asking the officers to “delete it all and forget about it.” He admitted he was using the material for sexual gratification up to 10 times a day.
Sentence and Indefinite Monitoring
Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, emphasised that McDonald possessed “deviant perverted views” and was a “serious” threat to the public. He was sentenced to three years in prison for the breach. The court noted that while McDonald had reported his own “violent thoughts,” he continued to trawl the internet for “vicious” material involving children.
As a result of his “vile” convictions for sexual assault and breaching a court order, John McDonald remains on the Sex Offenders Register and is subject to an indefinite SHPO. He is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Cleveland Police, ensuring his digital behaviour and movements in Middlesbrough and the wider Teesside area are strictly monitored. Any future attempt to “dishonestly” hide his internet activity or approach children will result in his immediate arrest and a return to custody.
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