Steven Lach, aged 66, of Bath Road, Swindon, Wiltshire, has been remanded in custody after pleading guilty to breaching a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order designed to restrict his digital activities.
Lach appeared before Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 14 September 2026, following an arrest executed over the weekend.
The court was told that Lach is an established registered sex offender who was issued with a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in 2017 following previous convictions for more than 30 sexual offences committed against children.
On Saturday, 12 September 2026, officers from Wiltshire Police arrested Lach after inquiries revealed he was actively using an online dating application and the encrypted messaging service Telegram, representing a direct breach of the terms imposed by his order.
Appearing in the dock, Lach entered a formal guilty plea to one count of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Speaking following the hearing, Police Constable Katie Owers, of Wiltshire Police’s Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) unit, said: “Lach is a high risk sex offender who continues to show a blatant disregard for the restrictions imposed on him by the courts. These measures are in place to protect the public. His persistent offending demonstrates an ongoing risk to others, and we will continue to take action whenever he fails to comply with these conditions. I am pleased that the courts have remanded Lach until his sentencing, reflecting the serious nature of the offending.”
Recognising the severity of the breach and Lach’s extensive criminal background, magistrates remanded him into prison custody.
He is scheduled to appear before Swindon Crown Court for formal sentencing on 16 October 2026.
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