A FORMER school caretaker has been described as an uncontrolled risk to Swindon girls.

Wiltshire Police applied for a sexual risk order to be handed to the 21-year-old Patrick Cunnington over fears he was receiving explicit pictures from girls as young as 13.

Cunnington, of East Wichel, has not been convicted of any sexual offence and was not in court for the hearing.

But District Judge Simon Cooper ruled he was a potential danger to Swindon youngsters. Concerned Cunnington had not engaged with the courts, he said: “I find it necessary to make the five -year order to reduce the risk of sexual harm to young girls in Swindon.”

The order came after Swindon Magistrates Court heard details of allegations made against Cunnington by girls aged between 13 and 15.

Both date from last year, although there were suggestions of earlier accusations of inappropriate messages being passed between Cunnington and young girls in 2015.

Daniel Johnson, acting for the police, said: “There is an allegation in respect of one female. She says in her interview the initial requests were of threats of violence. He denies that entirely. She says she gave these photographs in fear there would be violence if she did not provide those photographs.

“What’s agreed by Mr Cunnington is that he communicated with her. He received photographs.”

There was evidence indicating the photographs had been distributed, the court heard.

Cunnington’s Facebook account was also used to trade explicit messages with another girl. However, he denied he was the one who sent the messages, which were not read out in court but described as difficult to read.

Cunnington did not attend court and solicitor Emma Handslip said she had not received instructions from her client.

Judge Cooper said: “There is clearly use of social media. It is intrusive. It is potentially harassment. It is certainly upsetting for young girls.

“Mr Cunnington hasn’t engaged with these proceedings, despite the fact they have been ongoing now for some eight months. He’s out there as an uncontrolled risk with little regard as to what is to happen to him today.

“I therefore find it necessary to make the order to reduce the risk of sexual harm to young girls in Swindon. It is not in anticipation of more serious offending. It is in anticipation of the need to prevent such to children in Swindon.”

Addressing the messages sent by the girls to Cunnington’s social media accounts, Mr Cooper said: “It’s unpleasant footage of young girls, freely given having been deceived into doing so.”

He described it as a “typical example of what eventually becomes unpleasant pornography”.

Wiltshire Police says it is looking at using sexual risk orders more regularly in a bid to crack down on suspected paedophiles.

Det Supt Deb Smith, the force's head of public protection, said regional police chiefs had discussed increasing the number of preventative orders sought through the courts.

She said of sexual risk orders and child abduction warning notices: "They are a really powerful tool in terms of prevention and protecting children."

A sexual risk order can be imposed by a civil court if it believes certain steps need to be taken to protect the public from a person suspected of committing a sexual act.

They were introduced in 2014 by new anti-social behaviour laws. A court can impose an order even if the person subject to hasn't been convicted of a sexual crime.

The orders can stop the person from going to specific places or contacting children. They run for a minimum of two years.

What is a sexual risk order?

WILTSHIRE Police says it is looking at using sexual risk orders more regularly in a bid to crack down on suspected paedophiles.

Det Supt Deb Smith, the force’s head of public protection, said regional police chiefs had discussed increasing the number of preventative orders sought through the courts. She said of sexual risk orders and child abduction warning notices: “They are a really powerful tool in terms of prevention and protecting children.”

A sexual risk order can be imposed by a civil court if it believes certain steps need to be taken to protect the public from a person suspected of committing a sexual act. They were introduced in 2014 by new anti-social behaviour laws. A court can impose an order even if the person hasn’t been convicted of a sexual crime.

The orders can stop the person from going to specific places or contacting children and they run for a minimum of two years.