A PAEDOPHILE has been jailed for accessing dating app Grindr by using a false name and not telling police he had bought a Samsung tablet.

James Snowden, 27, from Newport was made the subject of a strict conditions on his use of the internet after he was jailed last year.

The defendant had been convicted of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and possession of indecent images of children.

Jason Howells, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court that Snowden had breached his SHPO again in February.

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When he was arrested, the defendant told detectives in interview he had recently bought the black Samsung tablet at a second-hand store in Cwmbran for £85.

Snowden’s offence was that he had not told the police he had the device with three days of him owning it.

He also broke the law by going on Grindr and setting up a profile under the name ‘Hiatus’ which had a photograph of himself.

The defendant is prohibited from using a different name to access social media sites.

He confessed that he had initially hidden the tablet under a pillow from the police as he was “craving technology”.

Snowden explained that he had given in to temptation because “he wasn’t strong enough”.

He told them Hiatus is a nickname that he has used previously on social media and gaming sites.

The defendant, of Chepstow Road, pleaded guilty to two counts of being in breach of a SHPO.

The offences took place between February 13 and February 23.

“No illegal content” was recovered by the police, Mr Howells added.

Daniel Jones representing Snowden asked the court to take into account his client’s guilty pleas.

He also said the defendant had not used the tablet to access indecent images of children.

The judge, Recorder Greg Bull KC, told Snowden he had defied a court order again and locked him up for 12 months.

The defendant will have to pay a £187 victim surcharge within three months of his release from prison and a collection order was made.