A CONVICTED sex offender will not return to prison after he breached the terms of his sentence.

Luke Bowen appeared at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on (December 3) after admitting 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 January 2018.

The court was told that on January 11, 2023, Bowen had been in possession of a mobile phone with internet access, but had failed to inform his supervisors putting him in breach of the order.

He had also stayed at a different address to his home address for more than seven days between August 2022 and Christmas 2022 without notifying police.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins noted that the 34-year-old, of Raveloe, Llanwrthwl, had been jailed for six-and-a-half years in 2018 and was released in May 2021 but later recalled after he admitted the breaches in interview in January 2023. 

He had then been in prison until November, this year, with the charges for the breaches being brought in September.

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Judge Jenkins said he accepted that Bowen had not used the mobile phone for any "nefarious" purposes and noted that he had been recalled to prison for 20 months.

He added: "You have already been recalled in relation to these pleas and spent considerable time in custody.

"The report says you are an exemplary and a model prisoner. You didn't trouble your superiors at all while you were on recall."

Judge Jenkins said it was to Bowen's credit that since leaving custody last month he has found employment and his employers are aware of his convictions and are happy to work around the terms of his orders.

"Your new employment and life outside custody should be encouraged," he added.

But he noted that Bowen is "intelligent" and would have known that he had breached the orders.

Bowen was given a 12-month community order and must complete 80 hours unpaid work, plus 15 rehabiliation days.

He must also pay £150 court costs and a court charge which will be set out at a later date.