York child sex offender spared jail after breaching court order

A York man who hid images of children being sexually abused on his mobile phone has been hauled before a judge at York Crown Court again.

David Stansfield, of Stirrup Close in Foxwood, served a prison sentence in 2016 for possessing indecent images of children- some involving a child who was just one year old.

Police officers turned up at Stansfield’s home unannounced on 6 February, and found he had breached the rules of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order he has to comply with on his release from prison.

The 45-year-old had failed to declare an iPhone found in his car and an iPad he had recently bought.

Stansfield told police he had bought the iPad for gaming and insisted the police knew about his iPhone.

Judge Sean Morris said: “I don’t see any point in locking him up for four weeks. There was nothing found on his devices. He’s got a job. He’s re-established himself in the community.”

He told Stansfield, who now works as a delivery driver, “this will be the only time you will walk out of the public entrance of court for a breach of an order. It’s not rocket science.

“Get it in your head. You must obey the order. You’ll go to prison next time.”

Stansfield was handed an 18 month Community Order with a 10 day rehabilitation requirement. His undeclared devices will be destroyed.