A SEX offender with a "terrible offending history" deleted his internet browsing history from his games console by accident, a court has been told.

Kevin Duffett admitted one count of breaching a sexual harm prevention order when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford in January.

The 51-year-old, who was jailed in 2019, is still subject to a sexual harm prevention order made that year.

The order includes a condition which prohibits him from using any device capable of accessing the internet without informing police within three days of its acquisition, and from deleting any internet history, prosecutor Mark Hambling said.

But, the court heard, Duffett contacted police and probation on August 16 to tell them that he had lost his browsing history on his X-Box.

Duffett said this had been accidental, while forensic analysis of the device showed nothing more than that the history had been deleted from it.

The court heard Duffett has previously breached a sexual harm prevention order.

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Michael Surzyn, for Duffett, said it had been a technical breach at the lowest level possible.

"He is on a probation order and under supervision with an open-ended sexual harm prevention order," Mr Surzyn said.

"He has a terrible offending history, but he made a mistake. He was allowed to use the X-Box, but games were not downloading, so he pressed some form of delete on it and lost everything."

"He rang police and probation and told them, and then attended the police station and explained that he had deleted his history. Forensics examined the X-Box and found nothing untoward. He brought this to light and did the right thing."

Magistrates said they believed the case was suitable to be sentenced in the magistrates' court.

The case was adjourned for a pre-sentencing report and Duffett, who is of St Owen Street, Hereford, will appear before magistrates in Hereford for sentencing on February 14.

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