A CONVICTED sex offender who fled and threw away a mobile phone when police came calling was in breach of a strict court order.

Reece Weaver, 22, was originally sentenced in 2017 for possessing and distributing indecent images of children, and having extreme pornographic images.

As part of his punishment, Weaver was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

This imposed a number of strict conditions on his liberty and online use, including a ban on having internet capable mobile phones he had not disclosed to police.

That order was made to run for five years, and for the bulk of that time Weaver did not run into any difficulties.

But on December 17 last year, Weaver’s ex-partner made a report to police.

“She revealed he had video on a phone which would have had to be internet enabled in order to send that video,” prosecutor Gerard Rogerson told Carlisle Crown Court.

Police attended the Whitehaven address. “Mr Weaver ran through the kitchen, out of a side door and into the garden adjacent to an area of public land separated by a fence,” said Mr Rogerson.

A search of the area the following day revealed a discarded iPhone.

Analysis showed still and moving images had been sent from the device to the woman, while Weaver had also accessed a Facebook account.

Both acts were breaches of the SHPO — due to expire next month — and were admitted by Weaver, of Newlands Gardens, Workington.

Judith McCullough, defending, highlighted positive progress which had been made by the defendant.

“There are signs of a willingness to change,” said Ms McCullough. “He is, perhaps, a young man who needs help to move forward on the path he has already started himself.

"He does not seek in any way to evade responsibility for these offences.”

Nothing 'nefarious' was found on the device, the court heard.

Recorder Philip Grundy imposed a three-year community order comprising attendance on a sex offender treatment course and other rehabilitation.

“It is puzzling to this court to wonder quite why there were the breaches,” said the judge, mindful that the order will expire on April 4.