Sex Offender Caught Deleting WhatsApp Message Gets Community Order

A registered sex offender has been sentenced after an eagle-eyed detective spotted he had deleted a WhatsApp message to a woman, despite being banned from doing so under a court order. 📱⚖️

Luke Rogers, 39, from Wolfscastle, Pembrokeshire, claimed he deleted the message about meeting for coffee “by mistake” – but Swansea Crown Court heard this required going through several confirmation steps.

The court was told Rogers has 18 previous convictions for 37 offences, including seven sexual offences and 10 for disobeying court orders. Prosecutor Dean Pulling explained that due to Rogers’ status as a registered sex offender, he was subject to management in the community and conditions on his use of internet-enabled devices.

On 30th June, during a probation appointment in Haverfordwest, Rogers’ offender manager requested his phone for examination. A detective constable noticed a WhatsApp message from two days earlier had been deleted – something prohibited by his sexual harm prevention order.

When questioned, Rogers said the deleted message was about meeting a woman from his “support group” for coffee. However, the prosecution highlighted that deleting a WhatsApp message requires users to go through several steps, with a final confirmation required.

Rogers has previous convictions including sexual assault of a female child at Harrow Crown Court in 2009 and sexual activity with a female child at Maidstone Crown Court in 2021. In November 2023, he was sentenced to 16 months for deleting Facebook and WhatsApp accounts, and in December 2024 received 10 months for deleting internet search history.

Defence barrister Olivia Rose described this as a “minor” breach, saying Rogers had been “stuck on a carousel” of being released without proper community support, though he was now taking steps to address underlying issues.

Recorder Aidan Eardley KC described Rogers as a “persistent sex offender and breacher of court orders” but noted his mental health issues. With a one-third discount for his guilty plea, Rogers received a community order with 160 hours of unpaid work. His sexual harm prevention order remains in place.