REECE WEAVER – WORKINGTON, CUMBRIA

❌REECE WEAVER – WORKINGTON, CUMBRIA❌

Convicted Sex Offender Breached Court Order After Fleeing Police and Discarding Phone

A convicted sex offender breached a strict court order after fleeing from police and discarding a mobile phone, a court has heard.

Reece Weaver, 22, was originally sentenced in 2017 after admitting offences involving the possession and distribution of indecent images of children, as well as extreme pornographic images. As part of that sentence, Weaver was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), imposing strict conditions on his behaviour and use of technology.

The order, which was imposed for five years, included a prohibition on possessing internet-enabled mobile phones unless they had been declared to the police. For much of the order’s duration, Weaver complied with its conditions.

However, on December 17, police were alerted after Weaver’s former partner reported that he had sent her a video. Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson told Carlisle Crown Court that the device used would have required internet access, placing Weaver in breach of the order.

When officers attended an address in Whitehaven, the court heard that Weaver ran through the property, exited via a side door and fled into nearby land. A subsequent search the following day uncovered a discarded iPhone.

Forensic analysis showed that still and moving images had been sent from the phone and that Weaver had accessed a Facebook account. Both actions constituted breaches of the SHPO, which was due to expire in early April. Weaver, of Newlands Gardens, Workington, admitted the breaches.

Defending counsel Judith McCullough told the court that Weaver had shown signs of progress and a willingness to change, adding that he did not seek to evade responsibility. The court was told that no illegal or harmful material was found on the device.

Recorder Philip Grundy described the breaches as puzzling, particularly given how close the order was to expiry. Weaver was sentenced to a three-year community order, which includes participation in a sex offender treatment programme and additional rehabilitation requirements.

⸻

Public Safety Notice: Sarah’s Law & Clare’s Law

Sarah’s Law (the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme) allows parents, carers, or guardians to ask police whether someone who has access to a child has a history of sexual offences.

Clare’s Law (the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme) enables individuals to request information from police about a partner or ex-partner’s history of domestic abuse or violent behaviour.

Anyone concerned for their own safety, or the safety of a child or loved one, can contact their local police force to request a disclosure under either scheme.