Gordon Walbridge (Image: Gwent Police)
Last Updated: 2 minutes ago
A 56-year-old man with a lengthy history of child sex offences has been sentenced to 32 months in prison after he breached a court order designed to protect children and was found with indecent images.
Gordon Walbridge, of Lansdowne Road, Newport, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court where he admitted possessing indecent images of children and five counts of breaching his sexual harm prevention order. His offending took place between September 9 last year and March 6.
Online conversations
The court heard that Walbridge had been engaging in disturbing online discussions about the sexual abuse of children.
Prosecutor Abigail Jackson told the court: “The defendant was discussing sexual matters and said he was attracted to girls as young as eight years old.
“He said he would take a teenager off the street to have sex with her if he could.”
Breaching the order
Walbridge had been subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order since 2017, imposed to monitor his internet activity and protect children.
He was caught violating the order after setting up fake Facebook accounts and wiping his browsing history – both direct breaches of the restrictions placed on him.
Images discovered
Following his arrest, officers examined his mobile phone and uncovered a collection of child abuse material. This included 16 category A images – the most severe classification – along with one at category B and six at category C.
Repeat offending
The court was told Walbridge has been repeatedly imprisoned for sexual offences over the past nine years. He received a 12-month sentence at Reading Crown Court in 2017 for distributing and making indecent images of children – the conviction that led to his sexual harm prevention order.
He was then locked up for 30 weeks in 2019 for breaching that order, before being handed a 26-month prison term later the same year for arranging or facilitating a child sex offence. Most recently, he was jailed in January 2024 for yet another breach of the order.
Sentencing
Sol Hartley, representing Walbridge, told the court in mitigation that his client suffers with his mental health.
Judge Hywel James addressed the defendant directly, stating: “You were discussing the sexual abuse of girls.
“A serious aggravating feature are your previous convictions.”
Walbridge was sentenced to 32 months’ imprisonment. He must register as a sex offender for life, and his indefinite sexual harm prevention order remains in force.
