Sex ban man John O'Neill no longer on 24-hour notice Published duration 22 September 2016

media caption John O'Neill

A man no longer has to notify police 24 hours before he has sex.

John O'Neill, 45 of York, now has to inform police "as soon as is reasonably practicable" if he wants to form a sexual relationship with a partner.

District Judge Adrian Lower imposed 12 conditions, including Mr O'Neill's internet usage being monitored by North Yorkshire Police.

Mr O'Neill said "I still have to tell police to have sex, in practical terms I am not seeing much difference."

'Sexual contact'

"This is a predictive allegation of a sex crime and the new law allows it to be offloaded to a civil court", he told the BBC.

Mr O'Neill said he may appeal against the new order and complied with it because of the "threat of prison".

"Every medical assessment determines me to be no risk", he added.

Mr O'Neill also said he had made a notification to police under the terms of the order covering "sexual contact" so he could "talk frankly" with a friend.

Under the new conditions Mr O'Neill is not allowed to discuss fantasies and sadomasochistic tendencies with medical staff.

A third party is to be required to be present at his medical appointments, except in an emergency.

The judge, sitting at York Magistrates' Court, described Mr O'Neill as a "manipulative man" and said "I'm quite satisfied you are a risk to women".

'Very dangerous individual'

Mr O'Neill had been the subject of an interim sexual risk order despite being cleared of rape.

The judge reimposed the order with terms aimed at protecting women.

Mr O'Neill was cleared of rape at Teesside Crown Court in November last year, but after the jury had been dismissed the judge called him a "very dangerous individual".

North Yorkshire Police then applied for the order on the basis of comments he had made to health professionals.

During an earlier hearing the court heard details of confessions to medical staff that included choking a woman unconscious and thinking "a lot" about killing her.

North Yorkshire Police said the sexual risk order and the prohibitions applied showed the force had taken the "correct course of action" to protect the public from the risk the court "acknowledged Mr O'Neill poses to the public".