Raymond Attwood, a ‘friendless’ paedophile from Middlesbrough initially apprehended by the mother of a young girl he was sexting online, has returned to court for noncompliance with stringent regulations on his internet usage.
Raymond Attwood, 40, was incarcerated ten years ago after the mother, masquerading as her daughter online, revealed Attwood’s identity and notified the authorities. He received a two-year term for transmitting graphic sexual texts to a 12-year-old, outlining his intentions.
Previously, the court heard how Raymond Attwood lived an isolate life and had “no actual friends and no actual social life”.
On Friday, his new barrister Victoria Lamballe, told Teesside Crown Court that every time Raymond Attwood tried to make friends, “he’s bullied and ridiculed and this causes him to retreat further into himself. The only contact he has is with his elderly mother.”
When police made a surprise visit to Raymond Attwood’s Middlesbrough home on May 25, and told him they were going to check that he had not been using any internet-enabled devices that he hadn’t declared to them – Raymond Attwood immediately handed them a mobile phone stuffed down the side of his settee.
Under the terms of his sexual harm prevention order – imposed in 2013 – Raymond Attwood must keep to strict rules about his online use, which is monitored by police. He must also declare any new devices and bank cards he has.
Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, told the court that he hadn’t declared the mobile phone and checks made on it showed that he had been using it for a year. “He had downloaded Snapchat, which automatically deletes messages, so this is a further breach” Mr Soppitt said, “and his username “Ray38″ had nine female names in his contacts.”
Raymond Attwood, previously of Saltburn but now of Wicklow Street in central Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to the two breaches of his sexual harm prevention order and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements. He has broken his court order twice before – in 2013 and 2022.
Judge Paul Watson KC said that a report on Raymond Attwood from the probation service, “suggests he still presents a risk to young girls.” Raymond Attwood was jailed for 16-months. He will be eligible for release after he has served half of his sentence.
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