Morecambe Offender Used VPN and Private Browsing to Hide Illegal Activity

A convicted sex offender from Morecambe has been sentenced to more than four years in prison after police discovered thousands of indecent images involving children on his mobile phones.

Lee Ramsay, 41, was already subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) following previous child sex offences. However, authorities said he repeatedly breached the strict conditions imposed on him.

Lancashire Police confirmed that Ramsay’s offending was uncovered during visits by his offender manager in July and October of last year, when officers seized the mobile phones he had been using.

Forensic examinations later uncovered more than 3,000 indecent images of children, including 1,159 Category A images — the most serious classification. Investigators also found that the devices contained private browsing software and VPN-related tools designed to conceal online activity and identity.

The court heard that Ramsay’s SHPO specifically banned him from possessing such software and prohibited him from using video or audio live-streaming services without prior police approval. Despite those restrictions, he was found to have accessed livestreaming platforms without authorisation.

Ramsay, formerly of Parliament Street in Morecambe, admitted six offences relating to indecent images of children and eight breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Appearing before Preston Crown Court, he was sentenced by Judge Preston on May 1 to four years and four months in prison.