In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Michael Naughton, then 33, of Shield Row, Stanley, County Durham, was jailed for 40 months after breaching court orders by inviting a 13-year-old boy into his home and giving him alcohol. On appearing at Durham Crown Court for sentencing, the defendant admitted to failing to comply with his notification requirements and breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). The court reported that Naughton had previously been jailed for the sexual abuse of a child in 2011.
The investigation established that Naughton was already in breach of his requirements by failing to live at the address provided to police upon his release from prison. Durham Constabulary reported that on 5 February 2019, the defendant checked out of a bed and breakfast in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and refused to disclose his whereabouts to his supervising officer. The prosecution reported that he was eventually traced to Stanley, County Durham, after a local boy informed his mother that Naughton had invited him inside for a can of lager.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Naughton had a history of non-compliance, having previously been jailed in 2017 for a further sexual offence involving a child. Durham Crown Court heard that the defendant deliberately evaded authorities to live in proximity to a minor. The prosecution reported that during the incident in Stanley, the 13-year-old boy refused a second offer of alcohol before leaving the property and reporting the matter, which led to Naughton’s arrest in early April.
Recorder Joanne Kidd noted that the offences were aggravated by the fact that Naughton was on licence at the time and fully aware he was in breach of various court orders. For his actions in Stanley, County Durham, and Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, the defendant was handed a 40-month custodial term. The judge noted that his risk to children was so persistent that his SHPO would be extended “without limit of time” to ensure indefinite public protection.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Michael Naughton was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 40 months in prison.
- SHPO: Extended to remain in place “without limit of time.”
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were maintained for life.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Durham Crown Court for multiple breaches.
- Criminal Record: Previous convictions for child sexual abuse in 2011 and 2017.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Naughton is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Durham Constabulary and the prison estate. Due to the “calculating and evasive” nature of his breaches in Stanley, County Durham, and Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, his management is subject to the highest level of oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Naughton must comply with notification requirements regarding his identity and residence for the remainder of his life. Authorities state that his history of bypassing supervision and inviting children into his home necessitates permanent and stringent monitoring of his conduct. Any breach of his registration conditions, or of his indefinite SHPO in County Durham or elsewhere, will result in immediate arrest and a return to the court system.
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