Former officer breaches Sexual Harm Prevention Order

A former police constable convicted of possessing and making indecent images of children was back in court after texting a teenage girl. Timothy Peel, 37, who served at Norfolk Constabulary, was given a one-year suspended prison sentence, placed on the Sex Offenders Register and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in October last year. However, Peel was back in court on Monday (March 13) after admitting breaching his SHPO by sending two text messages to a teenager. Prosecuting, Chris Youell told Norwich Crown Court that although there was nothing sexual in the messages sent by the former officer, contacting the girl – who was under 16 years old – breached his order. “There was no approval for him to contact the girl,” he added. Representing Peel, Michael Clare said he had lost everything as a result of the conviction and was now trying to rebuild his life. Judge Stephen Holt accepted there was no sexual motive in Peel’s text messages and said: “You have lost everything in the last year or so”. He added: “You are really trying hard to get your life back together again.” Peel was given a two-year community order and warned that he must not breach his SHPO again. His SHPO runs indefinitely and he will be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for ten years.