A Wiltshire paedophile could not answer allegations he had accessed web chatrooms in breach of a court order – because he’s dead.

Paul Stevens, 69, had been due before the magistrates’ court charged with two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order imposed by a Swindon judge in January 2018. It was alleged he had accessed internet chatrooms and used a pseudonym between February 18 and 24, 2020.

But a prosecutor last week told a Basingstoke district judge that the Crown would withdraw the charges as Stevens, formerly of Chelwood Close, Chippenham, had died.

In the past decade, Stevens has received more than seven years-worth of jail time for offences against children.

Two years ago, the former nurse was jailed for three-and-a-half years after he was caught emailing thousands of indecent images and videos of children being abused to fellow paedophiles. He sent 520 emails to men he met on online forums.

Despite having twice been convicted for similar matters, Stevens claimed he was not sexually attracted to children. Judge Robert Pawson described that claim as manifestly untrue. Jailing him, the judge said: "If it wasn't for people like you those children would not be abused, with the long term impact that has on them. You contribute directly to the sexual abuse of children.”

In 2011, Stevens was jailed for four years after he admitted distributing indecent images and encouraging an underage girl to perform a sex act upon herself.