January 2021

Judge orders fresh report to examine whether sex offender is ‘dangerous’

A judge ordered the probation service to look into whether a convicted sex offender should be found to be dangerous.

Frederick Weeks, 56, was caught chatting online to decoy social media accounts run by paedophile hunter groups and undercover police officers within months of being given a suspended sentence for child grooming offences in May.

He had been due to be sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Friday for two breaches of his sexual harm prevention order, three counts of attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a 13-year-old “girl” for sex on October 31, 2020.

But after reading a probation report detailing his compliance with the earlier order, Judge Peter Crabtree ordered a fresh report.

It will look specifically at whether Weeks should be assessed as a dangerous offender, meaning he could serve longer in prison and be subject to a lengthier period on licence.

The judge stressed he was not giving any indication of whether he was going to rule Weeks dangerous, but said he wanted to explore the question “for obvious public protection reasons”.

Weeks, of Cotswold Close, Warminster, but appearing before the court via video link from HMP Bullingdon, will be sentenced on March 12.

Tom Wilkins appeared for the Crown Prosecution Service. Alec Small represented Weeks.

Last year, Wiltshire Police promised that Weeks, who was given a two year suspended prison sentence, would be carefully monitored to ensure he would not re-offend.

June 2020

Frederick Weeks was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years

A man from Warminster has been given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to grooming offences.

Frederick Weeks, 55, appeared at Swindon Crown Court last Friday (29/05) and pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

He was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will remain in place for ten years and is managed by the Wiltshire Police’s Public Protection Unit.

The charges relate to Weeks communicating with someone online who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl but was actually an adult who reported it to the police.