A CHILD sex offender dubbed 'every mother's nightmare' — who has already served a prison term — has found himself back in court.

Philip Swift, 54, of Atherley Road, Shanklin, was jailed for more than three years in 2015 for child sex offences. He was convicted of grooming and sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl after posing as a teenage boy online.

The judge described him as 'the nightmare of every mother.'

Last Friday, Swift was sentenced at the Isle of Wight Crown Court for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, put in place when he was convicted to stop him from hurting others.

The court heard police had visited his home to carry out a routine search his computer, only to find it in repair mode and all of the files inaccessible.

Rod Blain, prosecuting, said: "The effect of this was in order to wipe out any potential history on that computer. This inhibits the police from doing their work."

Swift admitted breaching the order at a previous hearing.

The court heard Swift was a former computer engineer who made a living mining crypto-currencies.

His defence barrister said Swift had not tried to hide anything.

"He accepts this was a deliberate act but he was not intending to delete anything as there was nothing there to delete," he said.

"As a result of this breach, are you going to send him back to prison where, to be blunt, he will mix with people worse than himself?

"I have told him that if he were to transgress again, it wouldn't be worth me turning up to defend him."

Judge Malcolm Gibney said: "I am not impressed with this 'accidental' argument. This is a man who mines crypto currency, that in itself suggests a degree of technical expertise."

Swift was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended sentence for two years, and fined £300.

Judge Gibney said: "If you fail to engage with the probation service, you will be going back to jail.

"Be aware, you are unlikely to get a second chance."

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