Ammanford sex offender jailed for breaching court order

Shaun Smith was made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order as he was jailed for 15 months on December 20, 2018, for attempting to meet a girl under 16 years of age following grooming and attempting to cause a female to engage in sexual activity without consent.

As part of his sexual harm prevention order, Smith was not allowed to delete any history on his devices that were connected to the internet.

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On June 29, two officers visited Smith’s home, on Park Street in Ammanford, to conduct a risk assessment.

He handed over his phone, and when they asked if he had deleted anything, he said he had deleted the Telegram app.

Smith said he had been “talking to a woman” on the app and via a third-party explicit website, but then deleted the app and its history.

He told officers this was because “someone was trying to scam [him]”, prosecutor Harry Dickens said.

“Yes I made a mistake. I own up to it,” Smith told the police. He was arrested.

Smith, who has seven previous convictions for 11 offences, had breached the order twice before.

The first of these was when using a phone with internet capability without notifying the police, and the second was by buying a PlayStation 4 – which connects to the internet – without notifying the police.

Shaun Smith was jailed for breaching a sexual harm prevention order. (Image: Dyfed-Powys Police)

Rhiannon Lee-Meredith, defending, said Smith had immediately volunteered the information to the officers and admitted the offence.

“He’s aware this is now the third breach of this court order. He recognises he does face a period in custody. He is aware of that and accepts that,” she said.

“He has indicated he would now comply with any court order imposed.”

Recorder David Harris said this latest breach represented “an escalation of the breaches”.

He jailed Smith for one year, and ordered him to pay a £187 surcharge.