Registered Sex Offender Jailed Again for Viewing Child Abuse Images
A convicted sex offender from Sittingbourne has landed back behind bars after breaching strict court orders and accessing indecent images of children.
Steven Smith Caught Breaking the Rules
Steven Smith, 44, was originally convicted at Maidstone Crown Court in January 2022 for sexual communication with a child, inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and making indecent photographs of children. He received a prison term of two years and seven months.
Upon release, Smith faced tough conditions under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and Sex Offender Notification Requirements (SONR). These orders allowed police to monitor his digital devices and track his online activity.
Re-Offends After Release
On 13 May 2024, police caught Smith red-handed after spotting him access seven illegal images on his phone. A raid at his home uncovered several bank cards he failed to report to police, plus multiple social media accounts not registered as required. These were clear breaches of his court conditions.
Smith pleaded guilty to making indecent images of a child and six breaches of his notification requirements. On 12 November, Maidstone Crown Court sentenced him to another year behind bars. He will remain under an indefinite SHPO after release.
Police Response: No Second Chances
“Smith was given the opportunity by the court to show he could reform and be trusted not to re-offend whilst living in the community,”
said police investigator Thomas Briant.
“Once we identified he was blatantly accessing indecent images of children on a phone we were actively monitoring, he was immediately arrested. This led to the identification that Smith had breached his court orders multiple times. He is now serving another prison sentence and will be subject to ongoing checks when he is released.”
