Source: Women are Human
UK — Swindon, England. An individual convicted of repeat sexual offenses against children, including sexual violence against a small child, threatened suicide after a search of his home uncovered new breaches of a sexual harm prevention order. A judge has released the accused on bail, stating, “I’m going to take the chance.”
Alex Smith, a 28-year-old male who has been undergoing procedures with the goal of looking female, was taken into custody Monday following an unannounced visit at his Beaulieu Close, Toothill, Swindon home.
Officers who logged onto a router in the home found an unauthorized Samsung mobile phone wirelessly connected to it. Mr Smith initially denied knowledge of the device. When further questioned, he directed officers to a red coat.
As officers retrieved the mobile device from under the coat, Mr Smith grabbed a pair of scissors. Walking toward an officer with the scissors, he threatened, “I’m going to kill myself.” Officers were able to subdue Mr Smith and place him under arrest.
At age 12, Mr Smith, who was then named Matthew Burren, served time for a serious sex attack against a five-year-old boy.
In 2011, the youth was discovered in possession of sexualized drawings of young children, and was subjected to a community order.
A sexual harm prevention order was imposed by Swindon Crown Court in 2015 after Mr Smith was found to have been contacting children online and to be in possession of prohibited images of children. The court order bars him from owning internet-capable devices without prior approval, and from deleting or attempting to hide his internet browsing history.
A May 2019 search found Mr Smith had been hiding his internet browsing activity by using ‘incognito’ mode in his browser. A subsequent search later in the year discovered that Mr Smith was in possession of an unauthorized PlayStation 4 games console with internet capability, and was deleting his web browsing history from the device. Mr Smith’s lawyer argued that his client “couldn’t possibly do any kind of physical grooming” of children due to a severe stutter and Asperger’s syndrome. At the time, a judge handed Mr Smith a two-year community order with a 30-day rehabilitation requirement, and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £90 victim surcharge.
Mr Smith has been set free on bail without conditions following the most recent charges. District Judge Joanna Dickens said: “Obviously people have concerns about you, but I’m going to take a chance.”
