A convicted Etruria Paedophile sex offender, David Dingwall Coughtrie, has been incarcerated again after repeatedly disregarding a court order. David Dingwall Coughtrie has an extensive criminal history comprising numerous offences.
The 54-year-old received a ‘last opportunity’ in 2021 after utilising a pseudonym to communicate with a schoolboy on PlayStation.
But police discovered that he had deleted WhatsApp messages and an image of a child after officers from Staffordshire Police’s Sexual Offender Management Unit (SOMU) visited his home on December 12 last year.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard he did not declare having access to any other devices but a search following his arrest uncovered a games console and a tablet.
Now David Dingwall Coughtrie, of Etruria, has been sentenced to two years in prison. He pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and failing to comply with notification requirements.
David Dingwall Coughtrie has been subject to an indefinite SHPO since 2016. Among the cases involving Coughtrie that The Sentinel and StokeonTrentLive have reported include:
- Using a fake name and giving his number to a teenage boy after they met playing Grand Theft Auto in 2020.
- Using search terms such as ‘pre-teen models’ and ‘virgin solo models’ on a phone he was not allowed to own in 2019.
- Hiding mobile phones beneath his bed in 2016.
- Possessing indecent images of children in 2005.
Speaking after the most recent case, Detective Sergeant Laura Ames, of the force’s SOMU, said: “We take the management of sex offenders extremely seriously and will pursue and prosecute those who choose not to comply.
“David Dingwall Coughtrie rightly has very strict requirements that he is expected to abide by, and he has shown a complete disregard and lack of respect for them on a number of occasions. This sentencing should serve as a deterrent for others.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.