Former teacher back in court for breaching sex offender order

A former teacher twice convicted of possessing indecent images has appeared in court again after breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Fraser McDonald Smith, aged 66, failed to disclose items capable of accessing the internet and storing digital images, in July 2021.

Nottingham Crown Court heard McDonald Smith was subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), strictly limiting his access to the internet, that was imposed in May 2021.

But he breached the order just weeks later, with Nottinghamshire Police becoming aware in July of that year that McDonald Smith may have accessed images that were prohibited.

Officers raided his home and found seven devices that could either access the internet and/or store digital images that he had not disclosed.

He was arrested and put before the courts. On Tuesday (9 January 2024), he was given a nine month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

The judge told McDonald Smith the sentence was suspended as he had pleaded guilty, compiled with other aspects of the order and had committed no further offences since the breach came to light.

Earlier in the hearing, the court heard the SHPO that he breached had been imposed in May 2021 after police raided his home in Edgehill Grove, Mansfield Woodhouse, and recovered one category A – the most extreme – video and five category B videos from his phone and a hard drive.

He admitted two counts of making an indecent image of a child and in addition to the SHPO was jailed for four months, suspended for two years.

McDonald Smith also has a previous child porn offence, dating back to 2005, when he was given a three-year community order with specialist supervision after admitting 17 counts of making indecent images of children.

Following his latest court appearance for breaching a SHPO, Detective Constable Kate Taylor, who led the investigation, said:

“Sexual Harm Prevention Orders designed to protect the public from harm and to tightly restrict offenders’ future behaviour.

“As such, these orders are extremely serious and are rigorously enforced by Nottinghamshire Police.

“I hope this case will serve as a warning to others who are subject to similar orders that it our business to monitor people who pose a potential risk to children, and we do find out when such orders are breached.”