A predatory paedophile who has repeatedly abused teenage boys and girls he targeted on social network sites was given one last chance today to avoid going to prison.
Callum Evans, 21, was already on a three-year community order for grooming and abusing two 14-year-old boys when he pursued more teenagers after being spared prison in September 2011 having admitted a string of sex charges.
Judge Graham Hume Jones also gave Evans a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which banned him from contacting children online.
But within a few weeks he had breached that order by using a computer and mobile phone to contact teenagers.
He got them to send him indecent images before meeting up with them and carrying out sex attacks, Bristol Crown Court heard.
Evans was arrested again in September 2012 and in July last year Judge Hume Jones deferred passing sentence on him for six months so that he could complete the Thames Valley sex offenders programme, which he had previously been ordered to attend.
His last appearance in court had caused national newspaper headlines and today Judge Hume Jones explained at length his reasoning.
“The purpose of that order was to put him under supervision and the Thames Valley programme was to provide counselling and treatment to change his behaviour,” the judge said.
“If I had passed a prison sentence back in July he would probably be out today under little or no supervision.”
Evans, who was first convicted of possessing indecent images as a juvenile in 2009, had previously pleaded guilty to a total of 40 sex charges.
They were four of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, 13 of causing or inciting a child to engage in prostitution or pornography, 20 charges of making an indecent photograph of a child, which included 648 Evans was found in possession of, and three charges of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
Five further charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one of causing or inciting a child to engage in prostitution or pornography were ordered to lie on file.
Patrick Mason, defending, said Evans had not committed any more offences since his last arrest in September 2012 and was now looking for employment.
He said Evans had also completed the Thames Valley sex offenders programme and was also seeing a counsellor.
“He is gently under very firm guidance and is being reintegrated into society as a much changed young man,” Mr Mason said. “He is very much on the path to full rehabilitation.”
Judge Hume Jones told Evans that if he jailed him immediately or passed a suspended prison sentence he would not get the supervision from the probation service that he required.
“I have rehearsed before you the history of this particular matter,” the judge told him.
“You must understand that these offences are serious in themselves and the public are concerned that their young people should not be affected by the activities of people like yourself on the computer or social networks and I am very concerned that the public should be protected from this sort of behaviour.
“You very well could be about to serve a prison sentence. However, as I said any prison sentence that I pass would only lock you up and protect the public from you for a very limited length of time.
“I want to ensure that you are kept under supervision for as long as possible.
“Consequently the only course of action I can take to ensure you are under supervision for as long as possible is to make a community order for three years.
“If you do not attend appointments, if you do not attend programmes you will be breached and come back before the court, possibly before me, and the only course that will be taken will be a prison sentence.”
Evans, of The Glebe, Queen Camel, near Yeovil, Somerset was also placed on a tagged curfew from 7pm to 7am for five months, made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order indefinitely and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.
The order allows Evans to use a computer and the internet but he cannot contact children via social network sites. He must also allow the police to inspect it and keep his browsing history.
The judge added: “These are the orders I make but I can assure you that if you come back before the court you will be given a prison sentence. This is your last chance.”