A man in his mid-thirties from Pontypool has escaped immediate imprisonment after it emerged he had deleted his internet history and removed multiple roleplay applications from his electronic devices.

The 36-year-old was convicted of breaching a sexual harm prevention order that was first imposed in 2018 to monitor his online behaviour.

The order stemmed from his earlier conviction for child sexual offences, which had resulted in a suspended jail term.

His prior offences involved attempting to persuade a young person to engage in sexual activities and trying to communicate with a child in a sexual manner.

Crown prosecutor Abigail Jackson told the hearing that the recent breaches came to light during the autumn when two officers from Gwent Police attended his home for a standard annual risk assessment of registered sex offenders.

He admitted to three breaches of the sexual harm prevention order: clearing his browsing history, using private and incognito browsing functions, and both installing and uninstalling chatbot roleplay applications.

The court at Cardiff Crown Court heard that one such game he had on his devices was called Apex Girls, set in a post-apocalyptic world featuring female protagonists.

The breaches took place between October 8, 2025 and October 22, 2025.

Ms. Jackson told the court that this amounted to a repeated violation of the order.

Defence counsel Peter Donnison told the court that his client carried out these actions during a period of work-related stress.

The barrister also mentioned that the defendant was in full-time employment and was caring for his mother.

Mr. Justice Kember stated he would not impose an immediate custodial sentence, citing a realistic possibility of rehabilitation.

The man received a 14-month prison sentence, which was suspended for 21 months.

He must also carry out 200 hours of unpaid community work and complete a 20-day rehabilitation programme.

He was further ordered to pay £150 in prosecution costs and a £187 victim surcharge.