A convicted paedophile has lost his appeal to overturn a court order banning him from working with children, after judges ruled there was a “pressing need” to protect young girls from potential harm.

Thorpe was convicted of six child sex offences, including attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity. As part of his sentencing, Thorpe was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that severely restricts his internet use and explicitly prohibits him from seeking or undertaking any employment—paid, voluntary, or otherwise—that would bring him into unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16.

Thorpe, however, challenged this aspect of the SHPO at the Court of Appeal, arguing through his barrister that the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) system already exists to regulate such employment. The defence contended that the court-imposed restriction was an unnecessary additional barrier should Thorpe wish to seek employment in the future.

Appeal Rejected by Judges

On Wednesday, 30 July, the Court of Appeal dismissed Thorpe’s challenge. Mr Justice Bourne, delivering the judgment, highlighted the severe risk Thorpe poses, stating:

“The risk must be assessed in the context of the judge’s finding that the appellant is dangerous, which was based on detailed findings about his grooming behaviour, the images of which he was in possession, his internet search history which included search terms making very concerning references to sexually violent behaviour with young or ‘teen’ girls and his attitude as revealed by the pre-sentence report.

“As a result of those matters there was and is a pressing need to protect young girls from being caused sexual harm by the appellant.”

The ruling means Thorpe will remain under the SHPO, which prevents him from working in any capacity that could lead to unsupervised contact with minors.

Previous Convictions and SHPO Restrictions

Thorpe’s offences included attempts to communicate sexually with underage girls online and efforts to incite children into sexual activity. The SHPO also imposes stringent controls over his internet usage, with conditions designed to monitor and restrict his online behaviour.

The appeal rejection has been welcomed by safeguarding advocates who stress the importance of multi-layered protections against repeat offenders.

Protection of Children “Must Be Paramount”

A spokesperson for a leading child protection charity said: “The court’s decision sends a clear message that the safeguarding of children must remain paramount. SHPOs are an essential tool to ensure offenders like Thorpe are prevented from exploiting loopholes or seeking unsupervised contact with vulnerable young people.”

Thorpe remains subject to the SHPO indefinitely, with any breach liable to further criminal prosecution.