October 2014

Grimsby sex offender jailed again

A CONVICTED sex offender has been jailed after he flouted an order by approaching a group of youngsters that included a young boy, a court heard.

Ian Smith, 48, formerly of Highfield Avenue, Grimsby, admitted breaching a sexual offences prevention order and possessing amphetamine and cannabis on April 19. Craig Lowe, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Smith was given a 10-year sexual offences prevention order in May 2011, banning him from being in contact with children under 16.

He approached a group of girls aged 16 and 15 and a boy aged six, in Highfield Avenue.

Smith asked the girls: “Do you two do dope?”

They went home and told their parents and the police were alerted, the court heard.

Smith’s convictions included a nine-year prison sentence for rape and indecent assault and he had others for dishonesty, burglary, public order, possessing amphetamine and breaching the peace.

He had been jailed for 21 months in 2012 for breaching the sexual offences prevention order.

Simon Hirst, mitigating, said Smith had a very troubling history and had already spent about five-and-a-half months in custody on remand.

Smith was jailed by the court for 16 months.

May 2012

Convicted paedophile Ian Carl Smith sent back to prison

A CONVICTED paedophile who pestered a 15-year-old girl as she waited for a bus in York has been sent back to jail.

Forklift driver Ian Carl Smith, 45, came to York after serving a nine-year prison sentence for sexually abusing a Humberside girl under 16 and being made subject to a court order in Scunthorpe banning him from any contact with under-age girls, York Crown Court heard.

Alan Mitcheson, prosecuting, said that on December 27, Smith approached a girl in Acomb and invited her to his home for a “smoke and a drink”.

He then followed her as she sought to distance herself from him and waited outside a phone box as she tried to ring her grandmother.

He then walked with her along the street, trying to set up a meeting between them the next day. He did so, despite her telling him she was 14.

“She hoped by reducing her age, she would shame him into realising any attempt at fraternisation wasn’t welcome,” said Mr Mitcheson.

Eventually she managed to escape, reach her grandmother’s and contact police. Smith, of Carr Lane, Acomb, pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) made by Scunthorpe magistrates in May 2011.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, told Smith: “In my judgement, your approach to the 15-year-old girl did create a real and obvious risk to just the sort of person this order was designed to protect.” He jailed Smith for a year and nine months.

The judge said while on parole from the nine-year sentence imposed at Hull Crown Court in 2001, Smith’s behaviour was so “worrying” he was repeatedly recalled to prison. At times, he was contacting people interested in child sexual abuse.

In 2011, as his parole was due to expire, the authorities successfully asked Scunthorpe magistrates to make the SOPO to restrict his behaviour.

Mr Mitcheson said the girl was waiting for a bus shortly before 11pm, when Smith started a conversation with her.

For Smith, Steven Crossley said he had not targeted the girl. He had gone out for a walk at a time when he was more likely to encounter adults than children and initially did not know that the girl was under 16. He apologised for the distress he had caused her. It was the first time he had breached the order.

In 2011, he had finally got employment and expected to get back into employment after his release from prison. He had also managed to get a flat that was still available to him on the day of the court hearing.