Colchester: Sex offender jailed after repeated breaches of court order

Officers who monitor the risk posed by sex offenders secured a prison sentence for a man who repeatedly breached a court order and attempted to engage a child in sexually charged conversations.

In October last year, Alastair Dixon, 35, was found to have sent sexualised messages and images to an online decoy posing as a 14-year-old boy.

He committed this serious offence despite being the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), imposed at Ipswich Crown Court in August 2023.

These orders place limits and monitoring conditions on offenders’ use of electronic devices and day-to-day activities.

Our Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders team (MOSOVO) are focused on ensuring these stringent court orders are adhered to and any breaches swiftly detected.

These officers work alongside the probation service to prevent and deter further offending.

The team was able to link Dixon to a number of offences.

In another breach, we received a report he was in possession of an unauthorised smart phone.

Subsequent investigation found he had installed deletion software on computers at his home.

It was further found Dixon attempted to pervert the cause of justice by creating an email address in an innocent man’s name, before sharing a link containing indecent images of children.

He was arrested, charged and admitted a range of offences including:

• Attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
• Attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.
• Seven breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
• Failing to comply with notification requirements.
• Perverting the course of justice.

Dixon, of Pilborough Way, Colchester, admitted each charge due to the evidence gathered against him and appeared for sentence at Ipswich Crown Court on Wednesday 22 January.

Judge Emma Peters said he committed “sophisticated, serious offences” and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment.

Dixon was made the subject of a lifelong SHPO and will be subject to notification requirements for the rest of his life.

In 2024, MOSOVO made 125 arrests, secured 286 charges and solved nearly 370 investigations.

A real risk to children

Detective Constable Jonathan Straight, of our Colchester MOSOVO team, said:

"Thanks to our ongoing work there is a low rate of registered sex offenders re-offending in Essex.
“But we are not complacent, and where we see such flagrant breaches and fresh offences committed, we will take robust action.
“This case proves breaches will be put before the courts and attract a lengthy prison sentence.
“By enforcing these court orders, we can minimise the risk posed and harm caused by registered sex offenders.
“Although Dixon was not engaging with a real child in this case, he believed he was – and there was therefore clearly a risk of a child coming into contact with him online and suffering real harm.”

Synergy Essex offers independent and specialised services for individuals who have experienced rape or sexual abuse in Essex.

Synergy Essex is a partnership of three services; Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse (CARA), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service, and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis).

The services provided by Synergy Essex are independent of the police. This ensures individuals can seek help whether they choose to report the incident or not. This could be in relation to something that happened recently or in the past.

Survivors and victims can access support by reaching out on their own or through a referral from someone they trust. This could be a family member, friend, or professional.

At Synergy Essex, people of all ages can benefit from specialised emotional support. This includes counselling and advocacy.

For those pursuing legal action, they offer the help of an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA). The advisers can guide and support them through the criminal justice process.

To learn more about the services available, please visit the Synergy Essex website.