Judge’s jail warning to Brierfield paedophile

Clint Eastwood, who had a record for child porn, was banned from being in the same house as children under 16 by a sexual offences prevention order. The SOPO also restricted computer and mobile phone possession. He was said not to have come into contact with the child, who had slept in a bedroom while he used the settee in the living room.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Eastwood, who is on the sex offenders’ register for life, had convictions for making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children and was subject to the SOPO until 2014. The defendant, now of no fixed address, admitted breaching the order and was given 48 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, with two years supervision. He also received a new, 10-year sexual offences prevention order.

Under the order, he is banned from living in the same house as a child under 16, must not have any unsupervised contact or communicate with youngsters and is prohibited from using the internet to contact or try to contact a child known or believed to be under 16. He must not have any device capable of storing digital images, unless it is made available for police inspection. The defendant is also banned from having any device capable of accessing the internet, unless it has the capacity to display and retain the history of internet use and is made available to the police on request. He must not delete any history of internet use.

Miss Amanda Johnson (prosecuting) said police seized DVDs, a camera phone, mobile phones and memory and USB sticks from the property in Nelson.

The defendant’s then home in Wesley Street, Brierfield, was also searched and officers found computer equipment and mobile telephones. Eastwood was questioned and said he had been staying in Nelson for a few nights.

Miss Johnson said it became apparent a nine-year-old girl had been staying at the premises. Eastwood made no comment to questions regarding her. The defendant said he had never been left alone with her.

Sentencing Eastwood, Judge Beverley Lunt said she was concerned about the defendant going to the house. He could have left and even though he had not come into contact with the child, he knew he should not be in the same building.

The judge told Eastwood the breaches of the order had not had serious consequences, but the defendant had known what he was doing and she wanted to make sure he understood the SOPO was very serious indeed.

Judge Lunt warned the defendant: “Any breaches of this order and you will go to prison for years.”