A convicted paedophile in the highest category of risk has been remanded in custody after a social worker alerted police to sexualised messaging found on the phone of an 11-year-old girl.
Richard William Samuel Crompton (51) from Mullagharn Road, Omagh is accused of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) by communicating with the child for sexual gratification.
A detective constable told a special sitting of Dungannon Magistrates’ Court the charge which allegedly occurred on March 10, could be connected.
She explained in the course of speaking with the child on an unrelated issue, social workers observed a number of messages being received on her phone.
On examination, these were found to be of a sexual and indecent nature, sent from a contact named ‘Richie’.
The messages appeared to show Crompton’s alleged “longstanding interest” in the child, including asking her for a picture to “show how she’s grown in three years and if she still has the red underwear and pink skirt.”
The child told police she had sent images but was fully clothed in all, and confirmed Crompton told her he is a paedophile.
He was arrested at his home where four phones were seized.
During interview he accepted knowing the child and contact related to his dog.
He insisted he would not have asked her for images as he is “trying to address his offending behaviour”, but made no comment when asked about sexual communication with the child.
Objecting to bail the detective said Crompton is a Category 1 sexual offender “who is subject to Public Protection arrangements and managed in the community”.
“He has breached the SOPO by contacting this 11-year-old child and did not declare this to his Designated Risk Manager. He knows the young victim and if released may attempt to intimidate her. The comment of ‘how she has grown’ shows a longstanding knowledge of her.”
While accepting the relevant record a defence solicitor said Crompton complied with all aspects of the SOPO and anything required off him by his Designated Risk Manager, adding: “If admitted to bail he would obviously continue with this.”
However, District Judge Steven Keown refused, stating: “The defendant has shown little or no regard for court orders applicable to him. There is a high risk of reoffending which cannot be managed by conditions. Bail is refused.”
Crompton will appear again by video-link at Omagh Magistrates’ Court next month.
In September 2020, Crompton walked free from Dungannon Crown Court with a Probation Order after he was caught with numerous indecent images of children.
Already a convicted paedophile by that stage, he was jailed in 2009 while residing in England for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old-child, who the judge controversially said “technically consented …It was a one-off.”
The indecent imagery matters occurred between May and July 2017 and involved over 1,000 stills and 201 videos, with one child was just three-years-old.
Describing this as “loathsome”, Judge Brian Sherrard noted such offences carry a maximum 10 years imprisonment, telling Crompton: “You and others create a marketplace, provoking abuse. These children are not only abused once, but countless times due to the humiliation of being recorded and images distributed around the world. You utilised your computer to go onto the dark web …The search terms confirm a sexual interest in children which given your past, is entrenched. All images show abuse and no activity is consensual.”
Despite the option of jail, Crompton was sentenced to a three year Probation Order, and eight year SOPO and sex offender notification for five years.
All three remain live.
