A CONVICTED sex offender who was jailed for more than six years at the crown court is headed back there, in order to be sentenced for breaching the terms of his sentence.
Luke Bowen, 34, appeared via videolink from prison at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, November 5, where he entered guilty pleas to two charges.
Bowen, of Raveloe, Llanwrthwl, admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order and failing to comply with the notification requirements, as part of being on the sex offenders register – both offences are related to his jailing in 2018.
Bowen breached the sexual harm prevention order on January 11, 2023, by owning or possessing an electronic device, namely a mobile phone, that was capable of obtaining access to the internet, which he is prohibited from doing by the sexual harm prevention order, made by Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on January 19, 2018.
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In relation to the second offence, Bowen, between May 14 and December 25, 2022, failed without reasonable cause to comply with notification requirements, in that he stayed at an address which wasn't his home address for more than seven days and did not notify police of this.
James Ashton, prosecuting, said it was only suitable to hear Bowen’s case at the higher court.
“The defendant was convicted in crown court in January 2018 and jailed for six-and-a-half years,” he said.
“He was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
“He was released in May 2021 but recalled on licence. That licence is due to expire on November 7 this year.
“The order bans him from owning devices capable of accessing the internet and he is required to notify police of any change of address.”
Following his arrest on these matters, Mr Ashton said Bowen handed over three phones to police, but one of them was not known to authorities.
He added: “It had access to WhatsApp, while there was also evidence on the phone which revealed he’d stayed at his partner’s address for more than 7 days.
“She also made reference to him deleting internet history.
“He made some admissions, and told police he had misunderstood the terms of his licence.”
Magistrates committed the case to Merthyr Crown Court for sentence, where Bowen will appear on December 3. They ordered a pre-sentence report.
With Bowen set for release just days after this week’s hearing, they granted him unconditional bail to appear at Merthyr next month.
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