Hi, I've been lurking for a while and have found this forum to be very useful for information. Sorry I haven't participated sooner - I will certainly endeavour to do so from now on. I have a question for anyone that is an RSO regarding informing the police when you move address. 

I'm ashamed to say that I was convicted of an internet-related sexual offence in 2016 (although the offence was in 2013). I spent 2017 in custody and was released in 2018. I completed my license period at the beginning of this year and wish to move forward with my life. After my sentence, I moved back to live with my parents, who have been wonderful throughout this experience. However, I wish to move back to the city where I spent the last 20 years of my life (pre-conviction) as that's where I still have a lot of good friends who have been very supportive, despite my behaviour in 2013. Simply put, I wouldn't have made it through this without them! 

I contacted my previous landlord to see if he had any flats available, and it turns out he does have a couple, in the area that I lived for 10 years. He is unaware of my conviction; only that I left his property due to a personal crisis. Although I'm not on license, I thought it best to inform PPU of the plan and ask if the address was ok. I have always been compliant with PPU since my release and I received a glowing final report from my probation officer upon completion of my license. My risk was reduced accordingly and I continue to do everything I can to reduce it further. Anyway, PPU forwarded the details to the Police force in the area that I wish to move to. After waiting 2 weeks, I finally got a response that they had said no. The reason being that the address was in close proximity (about 1/2km) to a school. Just to be clear, my prior offence had nothing to do with schools. I asked about another address and the response was the same. The problem is, most places will be in the general vicinity of a school - it's quite difficult to find places that aren't. It would also be more straightforward to stick with properties that my previous landlord owns as I had a good relationship with him and I wouldn't require the usual references and credit checks. His are also the only flats that I've come across that would just about be covered by Housing Benefit. However, all of the properties are around the same area. 

This is obviously extremely frustrating. My PPU officer keeps telling me how important it is to find my own place and get some Independence back, as this statistically reduces risk. However, I am being blocked in doing so because of an imaginary risk. I say imaginary because it is not based on my previous offence. I realised that there is no legal requirement to inform the police that I intend to move - I am doing so purely as a courtesy. Nor do I have any restrictions regarding the location of my accommodation on the SHPO. According to the notification requirements, I am only required to inform police within 3 days of moving address. Also, 2 PPU officers have said that really, they can't stop me living anywhere, but it's best not to ruffle any feathers. My question is, what would happen if I just move to an address without telling them first? Especially as they've already disapproved. As far as I can see it, if there are no legal restrictions, then the negative response from the police is only advisory (?) I really don’t want to upset the police as I’m quite happy with the positive relationship I currently have with them (relative to the circumstances), but it seems I may have no choice. Does anyone on the forum have experience in this matter? I can find not a single piece of useful information online about this particular situation. I'm actually regretting asking them in the first place. If I had just moved, I could have claimed ignorance, but wouldn't have been breaking any rules. 

If anyone has any advice, I would really appreciate it. I apologise for the lengthy rambling - it's a habit of mine. 

Thanks for reading this, 

Teaspoon