Defendant, 51, is now in prison awaiting his fate after pleading guilty to 14 charges :: He also encouraged others to do the same
A sex offender is in prison awaiting his fate after he pleaded guilty to distributing images of child abuse.
Ronald Stewart Harcourt was already a registered sex offender when he distributed child abuse images and encouraged others to do the same.
The 51-year-old admitted a total of 14 charges at Teesside Crown Court today.
Harcourt has been assessed as a dangerous offender, the court was told.
He pleaded guilty to six specimen charges of distributing indecent images of children using an email identity.
The defendant also admitted six specimen charges of encouraging or assisting an offence, the distribution of such photographs.
He admitted one charge of making indecent photographs of children.
All 13 of these crimes were committed between October 2012 and February 2013.
In addition, he pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to comply with requirements as a sex offender between October 2009 and September 2012.
He failed to tell the police that he’d opened a bank account and created four email accounts over the three-year period.
Harcourt, formerly of Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, now of no fixed address, created one of the accounts in 2009, the rest in 2012.
The full facts of Harcourt’s offending have not yet been outlined in court.
Yvonne Taylor, defending, said a probation officer concluded Harcourt was a “high risk of causing harm to children”.
She asked for the case to be adjourned for a expert’s medical report to be prepared.
She said this might help decide on the issue of whether Harcourt was a dangerous offender.
Judge George Moorhouse remanded Harcourt in custody until sentencing on August 1.
He told the defendant: “In the meantime please cooperate with he medical advisor who’s going to carry out an examination.”
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