Burnley pervert used false name on Facebook

William Townend's phone was also said to have contained recent browsing history, indicating indecent images had been accessed with the device.

Burnley magistrates heard how officers found the phone and a router hidden between the 60-year-old's mattress and bed frame when they went to his home in the town on a compliance visit.

Townend was placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years in 2013, after being convicted of child and extreme pornography offences at Burnley Crown Court. He was supposed to inform the police of any other name he was using.

Miss Parveen Akhtar (prosecuting) said it was the second time Townend had breached the notification requirements of the register. Police went to his home on November 4th and found the phone, which contained details of a Facebook account in the name Graham Fowler.

She added :" The phone has been seized and submitted for full examination. Any image offences will be dealt with separately."'

Mr Trevor Grice (defending) said Townend did have a Facebook account in the name of Graham Fowler, but attached to that were all his details such as his proper name, date of birth and address.

The solicitor continued: "The reason he has been doing that is that it's known in the local area he is on the sex offenders' register and when he goes on Facebook in his real name he gets constant harassment and very often threats. It's for that reason alone he has done this."

"He denies emphatically the alias was used in any way to source indecent images. "

Townsend, of Heap Street, Burnley, admitted failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register, between November 1st and 4th. A trial over the facts of the case will be heard on January 21st.