A reporter has voiced her dismay after a second convicted paedophile on her patch was given lifetime anonymity on the grounds of a suicide threat.

Tanya Fowles has criticised the decision to keep the jailed sex offender’s name secret for life following a decision at Antrim Crown Court.

The paedophile, who was jailed for 16 months, had remained under an interim reporting ban from his first appearance at which it was argued that he would take his own life if his identity became known.

Tanya had argued against the continuation of the restriction, but the judge dismissed her application, echoing a Newry Crown Court decision last year in which another convicted paedophile was granted lifetime anonymity on the grounds that they may self-harm if identified.

Tanya, pictured, told HTFP: “This situation was predicated after the precedent was set in Newry Crown Court when a convicted paedophile was given lifetime anonymity based on self-asserted suicide risk.

“Now we see a further paedophile living under the radar cloaked for life by court-ordered anonymity, setting such offenders at an enhanced status to others coming through the court system.

“Apart from being totally disproportionate in both instances, there are further ramifications for public safety as a whole.

“PSNI have confirmed should a concerned member of the community apply for information under long and hard-fought Child Protection Disclosure Scheme, anonymity becomes a factor.”

Tanya had argued for the discountiniation of the interim order on the grounds that the defendant initially contended he wasn’t concerned for himself but the impact on his family, which does not quantify an identity ban,

She also noted that the convict could immediately be placed on a Supporting Prisoners At Risk scheme, designed to prevent self-harm.

The paedophile had admitted attempting to communicate sexually with two 12-year-old girls on dates between November 2021 and January 2022, whe he was in fact engaging online with undercover police officers in Yorkshire acting as decoys.

Conversations “were sexual in nature, including sending naked pictures of his private area and encouraging receipt of same”.

The evidence gathered was passed to the Police Service of Northern Ireland and when arrested the defendant insisted he knew the profiles were decoys and he was “trying to catch them out in a lie”.

The paedophile will serve six months in custody and the remainder on licence.

Until recently there were just seven life-time anonymity orders throughout the entire United Kingdom all of which were imposed due to identified third-party risk to life.

Tanya, who works as a freelance court reporter in addition to her duties as a BBC-funded local democracy reporter, has long campaigned against reporting restrictions being handed out on spurious grounds by the courts in Northern Ireland.

The Office of the Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland declined to comment when approached by her about the latest case.