Dyfed-Powys Police have released details of a case which granted a ground-breaking Sexual Harm Prevention Order against a convicted paedophile - considered to be the most extensive of its kind in the force’s history.

After being sentenced to jail at Swansea Crown Court in May of this year, 60-year-old Steven Loveridge of Ystalyfera was issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) considered to be the most extensive of its kind in Dyfed-Powys Police’s history.

Loveridge was jailed for six years and seven months after he admitted to a series of sex offences involving young children dating as far back as 2007. His charges included two counts of indecent exposure, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and a further three counts of possessing indecent images of children. 82 out of the 469 indecent images were in Category A – the most serious rating for such offences.

In addition to these hideous crimes, investigators found a wealth of evidence at his home and on his devices containing notes, maps, and detailed plans to engage in further sexual interactions with children. It was this evidence that made the sickening case all the more chilling, and is reflected in the unprecedented length of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order against him.

The nature and extent of Loveridge’s offending was considered so extreme that, to prioritise public safety, it was deemed essential that the paedophile was issued with a robust court order, in addition to the time he is now serving in jail.

Described by the prosecution as a “determined paedophile who has an entrenched sexual interest in young girls” - the full extent of Loveridge’s depravity began to unfold when, upon arrest, he was found to be in possession of two multi-coloured dice along with a pack of modified playing cards.

In a shocking account of calculated offending, the court heard how Loveridge would use the dice and cards as part of a game to dictate the nature of his offending and the age of his victims - which were always children.

Sentencing him to six years and seven months in prison at Swansea Crown Court back in May, Judge Catherine Richards said: “Your sexual interest in young children has existed since 2007. In recent years, you have been building up to contact sexual offences with meticulous planning. There is currently, plainly, further risk of you committing specified sexual offences, and a significant risk of you causing serious harm as a result.”

What exactly is a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO)?

A SHPO is a court order that can be applied for when someone is convicted of a crime under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, such as sexual assault, rape and possessing indecent images. It’s a set of bespoke orders that give clear instructions on what an offender must or must not do, known as prohibitions and positive requirements.

An example of a prohibition might be that they’re not allowed to take on employment working with children, whereas a positive requirement might order them to attend a behaviour change programme, for example.

The list of prohibitions and positive requirements is specifically drafted based on the facts of the case and areas of high risk identified. It’s important that the prohibitions are deemed reasonable, proportionate, and correspond with the specific crimes that have been committed, which in Loveridge’s case, were many.

The minimum term for a SHPO is five years, but they can also be enforced indefinitely if deemed proportionate to the risk. The SHPO against Steven Loveridge was granted for 20 years.

Breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order is a criminal offence and can result in up to five years’ imprisonment.

The Case of Steven Loveridge...

In preparation for sentencing, the Officer in Case, DC Andy Leonard, contacted Dyfed-Powys Police’s Legal Services team to request a Sexual Harm Prevention Order against Loveridge.

At this point in the investigation, Loveridge had been charged with the indecent exposure offences and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, but the discovery of the indecent images and the detailed planning of further sexual interactions had not yet been made.

Lowri from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Legal Services team said: “When DC Leonard first came to the Legal Services team to request the SHPO, it was a dreadful case, but it was very straightforward from the perspective of drafting an effective SHPO.

“A few weeks later, when the investigation team searched Loveridge’s property and seized his devices - everything changed.”

The court heard how investigators uncovered masses of handwritten and digital notes including annotated maps highlighting specific locations where he could encounter children. Further examination of his devices uncovered a library containing 469 indecent images of children.

Loveridge was further charged, and DC Leonard renewed his request for the Sexual Harm Prevention Order, bringing the new evidence before the legal services team.

Lowri continued: “In most cases, a complete and effective Sexual Harm Prevention Order is typically made up of around two or three bespoke prohibitions.

“Loveridge’s case was far from typical, with the final order containing a total of twenty unique and highly specific prohibitions.

“While I’ve only been in the Legal Services team here at Dyfed-Powys since December 2024, even my most experienced colleagues have been stunned at the length of the order needed to safeguard against this predator.”

The Legal Services team worked tirelessly to ensure that every location highlighted on Loveridge’s wealth of annotated maps was specifically named in the order, preventing him from attending these places.

Hours were spent cross-referencing Loveridge’s maps against standard maps, to ensure no street, playing field, or area of a town was left at risk of harm.

In fact, when Lowri and her team started listing the names of locations of concern, they used letters of the alphabet to list each street. It wasn’t until they reached the 26th location that the entire alphabet had been exhausted with this list – as such was the extent of Loveridge’s planning.

Continuing, they restarted the list with aa, bb, and so on, until all areas highlighted on Loveridge’s maps were protected within the SHPO. The full list of prohibitions against the offender can be viewed on the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

SHPOs are one example of the tools available to police to ensure effective management of sex offenders.

SHPOs operate in tandem with other risk management tools, such as the sex offender notification requirements (known as the sex offender’s register). These tools enhance police oversight and supervision and contribute to a comprehensive framework for the management of offenders and safeguarding the public.

The orders are tailored (and amended) to the offender’s circumstances, ensuring proportionality and practicality while addressing the specific risks they pose.

Officer in case, DC Andy Leonard remarked: “I would like to thank the victims and their families for their courage and support during the investigation.

“The investigation demonstrated excellent collaborative work from colleagues in Dyfed-Powys Police across multiple departments from the arrest, building the case, bringing the offender to justice and work to draft the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

“I would like to thank colleagues from South Wales for their support in the investigation and the CPS for their support and guidance throughout this complex investigation.”