A MAN who admits being attracted to young girls breached a court order for the fourth time by spending a night in a Rugby park with a 14-year-old schoolgirl.
Ashley Dowd had originally denied breaching the Sexual Offences Prevention Order, imposed in 2009 when he was sentenced for having sex with an under-age girl.
But Dowd, 25, of Yelvertoft Road, Lilbourne, near Rugby, changed his plea to guilty on the day of his trial at Warwick Crown Court.
Prosecutor Raj Punia said that in October 2009 Dowd had been given a 12-month suspended sentence at Northampton Crown Court for sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl.
He was also made subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) for seven years, banning him from having unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16, because of concerns for his expressed preference for girls much younger than himself.
In June last year, Dowd and two other men met a 14-year-old Rugby schoolgirl and a 21-year-old woman outside a Rugby youth club.
With the girl still in her school uniform, they went to Caldecott Park, where Dowd left them and then returned with a tent which he set up.
He and the schoolgirl spent the next few hours together before she went home in the early hours of the morning.
When he was arrested Dowd claimed he believed she was over the age of 16.
But he agreed he had not taken any steps to establish her age – and he entered his plea on the basis that he thought she was 16, but should have checked.
Judge Alan Parker commented: “It’s difficult to sentence on the grounds that his action was predatory when the prosecution have accepted his basis of plea.”
Miss Punia said it was the fourth time Dowd had breached the order, since 2009, when he was also ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years.
No action was taken in April 2011 when he breached it by being at the same address as his young niece, but the following month he was jailed for nine months for a second breach.
That had arisen when he and a friend were caught on CCTV at Danetre School in Daventry, where they were seen inside during school hours while there were a number of pupils around.
It was said they had been drinking, and had gone there to see his friend’s 15-year-old girlfriend.
There was then a further breach in July 2013, for which Dowd was jailed for 28 months – but Miss Punia said there were no details of that matter.
Colin Charvill, defending, said: “The aggravating feature is the earlier breaches of the order. There is no substantive offence, and no indication of premeditation or predatory conduct.
“The girl regarded this man as a friend, and she makes it quite clear that Mr Dowd had never indicated that he fancied her in any way or did anything sexual. He was just in her company.
“He has been in custody since September, so has served the equivalent of more than 12 months already. I would suggest he has perhaps served enough time,” Mr Charvill submitted.
And the judge observed: “Whatever risk he presents, the prosecution do not ask for a further order although the current one is due to expire in October.
“A custodial sentence would be likely to lead to his release around the time the order expires.
“If it’s possible to engage him in the way recommended in the report, by him residing somewhere approved by the probation service, that might be a better way of protecting the public.”
He adjourned the case until next month for attempts to be made to find a place at a probation hostel for Dowd, who was remanded in custody until then.
