A SEX OFFENDER has been sent to the crown court accused of charges including perverting the course of justice.

Thom Benjamin appeared before magistrates in Hereford accused of five offences.

The court heard the 26-year-old is accused of disclosing private sexual photographs or film of another person without consent with the intention of causing distress in Hereford between November 8 and 14, 2019.

Benjamin is also accused of two counts of committing an act with intent to pervert the course of justice by threatening to report a person to police for an offence if they did not withdraw their complaint between June 19 and August 2, 2020, and speaking to them through Instagram about the pictures that had been sent, first denying involvement and then claiming another person had been involved on November 10, 2019.

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Benjamin is further accused of breaching the terms of a sexual harm prevention order on August 14 by failing to provide a mobile phone to police for inspection when requested and failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders register by using aliases including the names Sophia Crowe, Greg Thompson, and Alex between September 10, 2019, and December 12, 2019.

The case was sent to Worcester Crown Court, where Benjamin will appear on August 31.

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