A CONVICTED sex offender who breached a sexual harm prevention order two days after he was released from prison has been sent back to jail.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Jamie Thomas Gorton, 27, had been given a community order in 2015 after being convicted of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. That was in relation to grooming a 15-year-old girl.

As part of that sentence he was given a sexual harm prevention order which had various conditions, including not to delete his internet history.

The court was told that Gorton, of Browsholme Avenue, Burnley, has breached the order several times and has been jailed for a combined total of around 51 weeks as a result.

Prosecuting, Mark Kellet said Gorton said it was within days of being released from a 12-week prison sentence for breaching the order - by not telling police he had moved back in with his mum - that he committed his latest offence.

Mr Kellet said: “The circumstances are straight forward. The defendant had recently been released from a 12-week sentence imposed in September. He was released on the Thursday.

“An officer went to see him on Saturday, November 4, in relation to the requirements of his sexual harm prevention order. He asked him to provide his Vodafone mobile phone, which he did.

“When the officer looked at the internet history it was clear the search data for November 3 had been deleted.

“He was asked about that by the officer. He admitted to the officer straight away that he had deleted the internet history.”

Gorton pleaded guilty to breaching the terms of a sexual harm prevention order.

Defending, James Heyworth said his client had turned to alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism when his father died and as a result his life had spiralled out of control.

Mr Heyworth said: “Mr Gorton is presenting much better since he has been remanded in custody. His life was basically out of control. He has anxiety and depression. Combined with that he was also using significant quantities of drink and drugs, particularly when he lost his father last year.”

Judge Beverley Lunt jailed Gorton for 20 months and warned him that if he breached the order again he would be serving a much longer spell in custody.

Judge Lunt said: “You have consistently breached the notification requirement and the terms of the sexual harm prevention order.

What you actually haven’t done is commit any further offences against any people. There are no further victims.”