THE sentencing of a convicted paedophile caught accessing an encrypted messaging service using the username ‘hotperv’ has been delayed.

John Hewitt, of Old Boars Hill, Oxford, was at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, March 12 charged with two counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) between October 13, 2019 and June 28, 2022.

The 78-year-old pleaded guilty to accessing an encrypted message service called ‘Wickr’ using usernames ‘hotperv’ and ‘pissslave’ to message other users.

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The SHPO was put in place at Oxford Crown Court on July 27, 2018 where he was jailed for 12-months for downloading child pornography.

Hewitt had also pleaded guilty to deleting 1,318 web searches, but before his sentencing at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday (April 11), Hewitt stated he wished to vacate that plea.

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A prosecution barrister explained the Crown Prosecution Service wishes to discontinue this charge as it was discovered that browser history had automatically deleted itself after a specific period.

Hewitt will now appear at Oxford Crown Court again on May 5.

The case has to first return to Oxford Magistrates’ Court for Hewitt to enter his ‘not guilty’ plea but it is expected that the discontinuance from CPS will be on the court system by that point.

Judge Michae Gledhill told Hewitt he can continue with unconditional bail until his hearing next month.