A convicted sex offender landed himself back in court when police found a photograph of him holding a new-born baby in hospital.

Peter Wicks was made subject to a suspended prison sentence for breaching the terms of his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) just days before the picture was discovered.

The 59-year-old had failed to inform the authorities about his new address and the fact he had been in a relationship with a woman for four years.

Teesside Crown Court heard how a random check of his mobile phone four days after his court appearance revealed the image and that the defendant had downloaded the TikTok app without informing police.

Jonathan Walker, prosecuting, said the defendant was made the subject of an indefinite court order following his conviction for a serious sexual offence in the Midlands.

Wicks found himself back in court when he failed to notify the police that he had moved home between July and November last year breaching the conditions of his sex offenders’ register order.

On July 12, he was sentenced to 18 weeks in custody suspended for a year when he appeared at magistrates’ court.

Mr Walker said: “Four days after the imposition of that order the police made a routine visit to his, this was unannounced and was to check on this defendant.

“They checked his phone and found a picture of the defendant holding a newborn child.”

A further check discovered the defendant’s TikTok account under the name of @007Kongpete which he had failed to register with the police.

Wicks, of Birch Road, Barnard Castle, pleaded guilty to breaching his SHPO for have contact with a child and breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders’ register.

Elisha Marsay, mitigating, said her client held the baby in April when he was in the presence of its parents and medics while visiting the friend in hospital and had been remanded in custody since July.

She added: “In relation to the breach of the notification requirements, I cannot dispute that this is a deliberate breach. He accepts that he would have had to download the app at some stage but he can’t remember doing it.

“He accepts that he failed to inform the police. There was no malice to using it, it was mainly for researching recipes."

Judge Francis Laird KC sentenced Wicks to an 18-month community order as the offences predated his suspended sentence.

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He said: “You have accepted that holding the infant breached the SHPO but it should be noted the circumstances in which that breach occurred.

“You were friendly with the infant’s parents, the child was born in a hospital in Birmingham, the father asked if you would give him a lift to the hospital and you were invited in.

“In the presence of both parents and medical practitioners, you held the child briefly for the photograph.”

Wicks was also ordered to attend 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.