Sex offender who breached a prevention order by contacting a woman using WhatsApp is jailed for two years

Jordan Larcombe was handed the SHPO on April 5, 2017 after being convicted of sexually abusing two teenage girls on the Isle of Wight.

Under the conditions of the order, 26-year-old Larcombe, of Summit Way in Southampton, is banned from using any phone or device capable of accessing the internet unless it can retain the internet history. He must also make the device available for inspection, and must not delete any internet history or mobile phone use.

During a home visit on June 14 this year, officers examined his phone and saw that he had been messaging a woman over WhatsApp. He had also configured the settings so any new messages in the chat would disappear after 24 hours – a breach of his SHPO.

In one message, he told the woman she could begin flirting now because he had ‘just put disappearing messages on’.

He was subsequently arrested and charged with the breach.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court he was jailed for two years.

PC Rob Thomas, from the Western Offender Management team, said: ‘We take the management of sex offenders incredibly seriously, and invest significant resources into doing so in order to keep the public safe.

‘Officers will often make unannounced visits to offenders where they may be subject to an intrusive investigative interview process.

‘These orders are put in place to protect the public, and ensure that individuals do not re-offend. Where they choose to disregard them, they are rightly punished and I am pleased that Larcombe is now back behind bars.’