Hello,

I'm currently awaiting a date for a plea hearing for a charge relating to online sexual offences. I'm unsure what my sentence is likely to be but if it's non-custodial, I'm worried about returning home following the hearing as I know the local press will publish the street I live on, as they have done in all of their reporting of other sexual offences. I am currently in temporary accommodation but I may be in permanent social/council housing by then. Does anyone know if the publishing of my street name is grounds to have an emergency move to alternative accommodation? I wouldn't feel safe for myself or my family (they don't live with me) if the public knew where I lived as I have had credible threats of violence against me from someone close to the case, not just a vigilante group or general members of the public. I don't want to press charges as that will only aggravate the whole situation further.

Any responses are much appreciated.

Just a precursor - You don't get to really decide about pressing charges in the UK, that's an American thing. You'd report the crime and the police would investigate and the Crown Prosecution Service would decide on the charges (in England and Wales) and the Procurator Fiscal (in Scotland).

Now onto the meat of your question.

It's honestly really difficult to answer and I feel a chat with your local police might be the best starting point. Lay out your concerns and be precise, back up what you say if you can as you mentioned you've had credible threats in the past and I know it's difficult but you'll need to name them to the police so they can keep an eye on it especially if they have threatened you in the previously.

I'd then be speaking with my solicitor, you never know what they might be able to suggest. They may be able to put forward a request for a reporting injunction - Not guaranteed obviously but doesn't hurt to ask.

Thanks for your response khafka.

Regarding pressing charges, what I mean is that I didn't give a formal statement as I was worried about aggravating the situation and potentially having to appear in court regarding my statement. I know CCTV footage exists of when the threat was made, which I told the police, but they said there's not much they can do without a formal statement.

I suppose I wanted to know if, in general, having the media post your street name and conviction is enough in itself to warrant an emergency change of address due to the potential public/vigilante backlash? Or would threats/acts of violence need to be evidenced before an emergency change of address can be implemented, if at all?

My solicitor said that this was a police matter and didn't seem interested in discussing it further. He said there's nothing he can do about restricting the publication of any of my details.

Ah okay.

Well the short answer at least in my experience is "No".

Most people reported on will include the street as it's a way to avoid any potential issues with another John Doe from that city being caught up in it. For what it's worth, I was convicted on a sex offence, reported in a local paper and slapped about social media vigilante groups. Aside from comments online there's been zero issues going back 6 years at this point actually, first reported at the start of December 2019. That being said there were a few comments from people that actually know me that were giving the big "Oh I'm going to batter him next time I see him yada yada" which I brought to my PPU as I felt they were slightly more credible than some random pleb but they said basically unless they actually go forward with something there's little they can do aside from log it and potentially speak to the person to tell them to knock it off. Even coming across these folk in the wild they never did anything, all mouth and no trousers as they say.

That's all anecdotal of course but from my experience and research seems to be a fairly common experience of the situation.

If you do honestly believe you are in danger of violence then you need to report this. I know it's difficult as you want to keep your head down and try and get through this but if someone is threatening you like this then it is also not acceptable. If it ever gets as far as a court room you may not need to actually be there, you can just prepare a written statement.

I don't mean to sound blunt but unless there's something you're missing out the chances of the police sorting you out with emergency alternative accommodation is zero, your situation isn't unique otherwise they'd be doing this every other day and it'd cost them a fortune.

Thanks again for your response khafka.

I suppose I need to weigh up the pros and cons of providing a formal statement vs not providing one. At the moment my hope is that I'm still in temporary accommodation at the time when my street name is published, then I get moved to permanent accommodation straight after that, but I know that situation is extremely unlikely.

There's always the chance that I receive a custodial sentence, which I don't want, but at least it would mean I'd lose access to my address and go through the homeless system again to get a new address. But the threat included knowing people on the inside, so that also scares me. Although I'd hope I'd be a bit safer in a Vulnerable Prisoner Unit, if it came to it.

I'm determined to become rehabilitated, I just hope I get the chance to do that and show everyone, although I know most people will never believe that's possible.

If you do end up inside, Reception at the prison should ask you if you want to "go on the numbers" or be placed on the VP wing, as a matter of standard practice. Some prisons may run an "integrated" regime, and in those prisons, the other prisoners are aware that the punishment they would get for an assault would make it not worth the bother.

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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)

Been MIA lately but finally back and logged in.

Firstly, Welcome to the forum. I can certainly tell you I am no stranger to constantly looking over my shoulder while out in public, but it does get easier.
At this stage, you need to think less about what other people think or feel. And focus on yourself and keep fighting to find that strength to keep going, the road a head is not an easy one but there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Take each day as it comes, do not let yourself get to deep in thought of whats a head, focus on the things you can control in the here and now. 

I never stepped a foot out my flat for 2 weeks solid after I was made news, anytime I did I would wear hats, sun glasses on sunny days. Eventually I started to cover up less and less, no one really noticed me, but I suppose my advantage was I was still fairly new to my area and unknown. I had to get use to it sooner or later to prepare for the rehabilitation course I was ordered to do. There was one instance I noticed a group of elderly ladies standing opposite me at the bus station, glancing over my way. I could tell they recognised me, but I stood my ground and got on with my day.
I often thought about, what I would say or do if anyone I knew actually came up to me, shouting abuse in my face, throwing punches. It use to terrify me, but now I think I could just look the other way and walk.

Secondly, I may be wrong. but I was always under the impression if being moved to a temporary accommodation, when asked where you live. Would that not just simply be "at no fixed abode"? I have read all the posts but still processing everything.
There is always that slight chance of being given custodial, my duty solicitor basically told me "plead guilty and you will not go to prison" and although true to their word, it basically allowed Police to write up whatever they wanted. Given zero chance to dispute anything.
Research is very important, had I known about Unlock from the very start. I think my case would have gone a lot better, so well done for discovering the Unlock forum, and once again. Welcome

Thanks for the insight AB2014. If given the choice, I'd definitely rather choose the VP wing - I'd be much too scared of the alternative!

Thanks for your response and the welcome xDanx.

The only times I've stepped outside over the past couple of months has been when I've had to attend an appointment. I know it's bad for my mental health but I feel much safer indoors, knowing that very few people know where I'm living. I feel like if I go outside then the person who threatened violence against me would either see me, or someone they know would see me and they'd let them know, especially as my face and name is on social media. I also worry about seeing people I know, or if someone under 18 attempts to talk to me and I have to ignore them due to my bail conditions. It may cause issues with them thinking I'm being ignorant. Plus, with it being December, I'm finding everything really hard mentally. I'm hoping to build myself up to going for a walk at some point in January.

Regarding the whole "no fixed abode" thing, I don't think that will work because the address of my temporary accommodation is printed as my place of residence on my bail conditions. The Procurator Fiscal initially objected to me residing at my current address as there are families nearby, so I had to go to court for my solicitor to basically say it's near impossible to live anywhere that doesn't have families nearby. Thankfully the Sheriff agreed, but that whole situation in itself was extremely stressful.

I've spoken to my housing officer about the possibility of remaining in this temporary accommodation until my hearing, and she seemed to agree due to the potential need for further relocation post-hearing considering the issues my current accommodation caused with the Procurator Fiscal, but she needs approval from her boss so I'm waiting to hear back regarding that.

If you aren't offered the VP wing by Reception, don't be afraid to ask.

In public, it isn't always as bad as you fear. I live in the nearest town to where I used to live and I rarely see anyone I recognise from there. I've seen more people I recognised from prison, including two officers. I used to go to a local pub a few times a month, but I had to stop due to the Cost of Living Crisis. Someone I used to know about thirty years before had started going in there, and when I stopped going in, he outed me. I only worked it out when the guys I used to chat with started blanking me in the street. No abuse, no threats, nothing. I'm guessing they were thinking "he's OK, but he's one of those, so we can't have anything to dd with him." I'll take that.

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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)