A WEST Cumbrian sex offender flouted a court order by secretly using two digital devices without telling the police.

Cockermouth man Mitchell Harris Robinson, 21, was made the subject of a strict court order after he was caught encouraging somebody he thought was a 12-year-old girl to send him indecent pictures of herself.

As part of his sentence in 2019 - which included a jail term - Robinson was given a sexual harm prevention order.

It includes him having to notify police within three days of any device he has access to and ensuring officers can routinely monitor the websites he visits.

But after his release from jail, the defendant twice flouted that order. He admitted both offences.

Gerard Rogerson, prosecuting, said the offences came to light on June 25 when the defendant emailed his police offender manager saying that he wanted to start using an Apple iPhone. The following day, the officer visited Robinson at his Fell View home and examined the device that had been mentioned.

"The officer found that the Apple iPhone had been used for one week prior to him contacting the police," said Mr Rogerson.

The defendant had also used a "private" internet browsing function, which was prohibited under the terms of his sexual harm prevention order.

Further investigation also revealed that Robinson had been secretly using another device - a Samsung tablet.

"Mr Robinson went upstairs and effectively made an attempt to hide the the Samsung tablet and the officer told him to stop wasting his time," continued the prosecutor.

It later merged that Robinson had been using the tablet - which he said he found in his grandparents' attack - since January.

Mr Rogerson accepted there was no suggestion that the defendant had searched for anything illegal. When challenged about his six month use of the tablet, Robinson said: "It's a me thing."

He had just wanted to be "in control" of the device, he said.

Judge Nicholas Barker told the defendant: "This was a wilful and by you a deliberate act of trying to contravene a sexual harm prevention order... the purpose of the order is to remove the risk.

"It's a risk which remained for quite an extended period - from January to June."

The judge told Robinson he should understand it was in his interests as well as the wider public interest that he abide by the order and so avoid further offending. Accepting there was no inappropriate contact over the internet, Judge Barker imposed eight months jail, suspended for 18 months; along with up to 30 rehabilitation activity days and a two-month 7pm to 6am curfew.