'The worst record I have ever seen for failing to comply': 'Persistent' Northampton paedophile jailed

A Northampton paedophile with 'the worst record for compliance with court orders' a judge has ever seen was jailed on Monday (September 20).

Steven Grosvenor tried to hide devices containing 251 indecent images of children from police after they raided his home in Little Billing in August, Northampton Crown Court heard.

His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo sentenced the 49-year-old, of Manorfield Close, to two years and four months in prison after he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Mayo said to Liam Muir, defending: "In my view as far as breaching offences are concerned, this couldn't be more persistent.

"He's got about the worst record I have ever seen for failing to comply."

Victoria Rose, prosecuting, said police had been refused entry twice to Grosvenor's home to check on him as part of a a sexual harm prevention order made by Northampton Magistrates' Court on March 10.

On August 5, officers executed a warrant at the property and the defendant denied having any items capable of storing files they did not know about other than a mobile phone.

But police found two laptops, a USB stick and a micro SD card in a locked cabinet in a bedroom, which Grosvenor said were his 'vulnerable' female housemate's.

Investigators discovered 18 indecent images of children of category A, the worst possible kind, 105 category B and 128 category C, including pictures and videos.

Mr Muir said Grosvenor admitted during his interview to downloading the images on his housemate's laptops, which he had access to, and breaching the sexual harm prevention order.

"It's the age-old comment of being lonely, isolated and struggling with his demons," he added.

"I asked him what I should say to the judge about this and he said, 'I don't want to say anything as I've got not justification'."

Judge Mayo said he was 'comfortably happy' to go beyond the recommended maximum sentence as it would be 'unjustly low for the protection of the public' not to do so.

"You have operated in the past where you've always accept what you have done and I note the words 'working towards guilty pleas'," he told Grosvenor.

"You were not in any way, shape or form wanting to contest these allegations.

"It goes to show the significance of an early guilty plea because the discount would be less if you were not so co-operative."