A convicted child rapist caught hiding two mobile phones in the glovebox of his mother’s car when police arrested him has been jailed.

Police were tipped off that Chris Leyburn was using an online alias of ‘Lizardman1990’ while using Snapchat despite being banned from going online unless following strict guidelines.

The 34-year-old was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and notification requirement order (NRO) following his conviction for serious sex offences on a young boy and girl.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the serious sex offender had breached both orders multiple times since it was imposed following his conviction for rape of a child in 2006.

Dan Wilberforce, prosecuting, police were tipped-off that the defendant was using a fake alias on Snapchat under the name of Lizardman1990.

He said: “When the vehicle was searched two mobile phones were recovered from the glovebox and digital analysis showed conversations between him and his girlfriend and had been using it since January 2024.”

Chris LeyburnChris Leyburn (Image: Cleveland Police)

Leyburn, of Aylton Drive, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to two breaches of his SHPO and one charge of breaching his NRO following his arrest on September 12.

The court heard how Leyburn claimed that the court orders were a breach of his human rights and he wasn’t aware that he had to declare his alias on Snapchat.

Judge Richard Bennett branded the sex offender’s behaviour as a ‘persistent breach’ as he locked him up for two years for lying about the mobile phones, he had access to.

See more court stories from The Northern Echo by clicking here

Get more from The Northern Echo with a digital subscription. Get access to the latest offer for annual or monthly subscription. Click here for details.

“It was revealed that you had regularly being using one of the phones and Snapchat from January 2024. You were therefore in breach of your sexual harm prevention order,” he said.

“I’m satisfied that your use of Snapchat was a persistent breach as you were using the app for nine months without telling the police.

“You have convictions for raping a girl under 16 and a boy under 13, together with other child sexual offences and the order was imposed to manage the risk that you pose to young children.

“You have persistently breached the court orders, you have received a number of lengthy custodial sentences and none of those seem to have discouraged you from ignoring the terms of your orders.”