A convicted Roath paedophile, Paul Buckland, sought to have a court order rescinded upon the receipt of a promotion offer. Paul Buckland, a resident of Cardiff, received a sexual offences prevention order in 2011 after confessing to numerous crimes related to egregious child abuse imagery. This week, he appeared in court to contend that the restriction should be lifted, asserting that unrestricted internet access was necessary for him to “become a supervisor” at his workplace.
The 45-year-old’s attempt to get the order annulled faltered when a judge at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court revealed that he was subject to a second order, instituted in 2016 due to his noncompliance with the initial one. Recognising the necessity to annul not only one but two restrictions, Buckland retracted his application and indicated his intention to pursue additional legal counsel.
In 2011, Paul Buckland entered a guilty plea at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court to 17 charges of producing indecent images of a child and one charge of possessing an extreme pornographic photograph depicting a person engaged in oral sex with a horse.
The file titles referenced an eight-year-old “Mexican girl,” a ten-year-old “girl from Russia,” and a “preteen 12-year-old Lolita.” They also incorporated the terms “pedo” [sic], “childlover”, and depictions of repugnant sexual practices.
The court mandated 35 days of sex offender treatment and issued a sexual crimes prevention order. Paul Buckland is prohibited from utilising a computer unless it is equipped with software that restricts access to child abuse photos. The ruling additionally prohibits him from utilising a mobile phone with internet connectivity.
Nonetheless, it encompasses exceptions for utilising a computer at work or under supervision, rendering unclear why Paul Buckland perceived it as an impediment to his promotion.
His recent application called for the order to be removed on the grounds that “he has been in full-time employment for 18 months and he has been asked by employers to train to become a supervisor for which he will require internet access”.
This week, when a suited Paul Buckland appeared at the magistrates’ court, the prosecutor Nicholas Evans pointed out he had failed to consider that he was also under a sexual harm prevention order imposed in 2016 by Cardiff Crown Court. That order was handed down because he had breached the 2011 restriction by using the internet without software to prevent him accessing illicit material.
Mr Evans said there were “concerns” over Paul Buckland’s application not only because of his 2011 and 2016 convictions but also a 2020 caution for breaching a notification requirement.
District Judge Rhys Williams noted that the 2011 and 2016 orders were “virtually identical” and that there appeared to be “some confusion” on Paul Buckland’s part over how many orders he was under.
The judge told Buckland the 2016 order could not be discharged by the magistrates’ court because it was made by a higher court.
Paul Buckland, of Penlline Street in Roath, was advised he would have to make an application to Cardiff Crown Court if he wanted a judge to consider discharging that order. He replied: “I think I’ll withdraw my application and get more advice.”
As Paul Buckland left court we asked him if he would be putting an application to the crown court. You can watch footage of him fleeing our questions at the top of this page.
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