Paedophile jailed after telling police “I just don’t care”

A paedophile caught repeatedly breaking the rules of a sexual harm prevention order whilst already serving a suspended sentence has been jailed.

Dylan Greenhalgh, 23, of Commercial Street, Aberbargoed, was handed a suspended prison sentence last year after being convicted of sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl when he was much younger. He also pleaded guilty to making an indecent image of a child, possession of a prohibited image of a child and possession of extreme pornography involving bestiality.

As a result, Greenhalgh was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order which imposed strict restrictions on his internet use. However, Blackwood police found he had breached the terms of this order “a number of times” between April 1 and September 4.

Cat Jones, prosecuting, told the court these breaches included using five aliases on Snapchat, having three devices he hadn’t registered with the authorities and having VPN installed on a phone.

When asked by an officer on his arrest why he had done so, the defendant replied: “I just don’t care.”

He later gave a no comment interview to detectives at the police station.

Greenhalgh’s barrister Richard Ace told the court: “The defendant is still only a young man with a level of immaturity. He appears to understand his offending.”

Mr Ace added that Greenhalgh had been a gamer leading an isolated existence but had “socialised” with others while being remanded in custody following his arrest in September.

Judge Catherine Richards told the defendant: “These were persistent breaches that are aggravated by your previous convictions. You were also the subject of a suspended prison sentence at the time. Despite the support you were given, you continued to reoffend.”

Greenhalgh was jailed for two years and will serve half of that sentence in prison before being released on licence. He will also have to pay a victim surcharge.