Ground-breaking order made on 'chilling' Powys paedophile
Steven Loveridge, 60, from Ystradgynlais has been 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.
Around a quarter of the images were in Category A – the most serious rating for such offences.
In the court case earlier this year it was heard 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.
An audio recording on Loveridge's phone indicated that the blue colour represented an age he referred to as 'playgroup age'.
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.
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.'
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.
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.
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The scope and detail of the order is unprecedented with the force's legal team where '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'.
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.'
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