Wigan child sex abuser back behind bars

Steven Flynn, 32, of Walthew Lane, Platt Bridge, who was jailed for child sex crimes in 2021, appeared before borough justices to plead guilty to the court order by both approaching a person aged under 18 and failing to disclose to the public protection unit that he had a new device capable of accessing the internet.

Sending him down for a total of 12 weeks, justices said he had shown a "flagrant disregard for court orders."

In 2021 Flynn appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge to plead guilty to a total of 10 charges including the possession and distribution of abuse images of children falling into all three categories of seriousness between January 2017 and April 2018.

He also admitted to sexually abusing two boys under the age of 13, one by intentionally engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and the other of inciting a boy to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity.

Flynn further admitted to trying to arrange or facilitate an act which would have involved in sexual activity with a child, and having a disguised knife on May 18, 2018.

The hearing was told he was arrested after the police, acting on intelligence, raided his home, conducted a search and seized an X-Box, mobile phone and computer hard drive.

After analysis by technical experts the seized equipment revealed illegal footage of child abuse and evidence of contacting minors for his own sexual titillation.

The bladed article charge refers to a knife that was found in his wallet when he was searched at the custody desk when he was arrested.

The charges of engaging in sexual activity with a child and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity offences were committed online with children he didn’t know, the court was told, both of whom were aged under 13.

Flynn was sentenced to a total of six years behind bars.

He was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order – which he has now twice broken – and must sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register for the rest of his life.