Man who has to tell police when he wants to have sex challenges order

A man who has to give police 24 hours notice before he has sex with a new partner is appearing in court today to have the order lifted.

But North Yorkshire Police will apply to the district judge sitting at York Magistrates' Court to make the order against IT consultant John O'Neill permanent.

The 45-year-old was made subject to an interim Sexual Risk Order, with a number of conditions attached, even though he was cleared of rape following a retrial in November.

Mr O'Neill, who has previously admitted to having an interest in sado-masochism and used to attend a Fifty Shades of Grey-style fetish club, claimed the order breached his human rights and said he had no prospect of forming a relationship while he lived by its terms.

The former mature English Literature student, a single father of two, said his history of S and M sex was brought up at the rape trial, including evidence from a doctor with whom he had discussed his past.

He claimed the doctor misunderstood what he was discussing, saying she was confused about what he wanted to do and what was just fantasy.

Police thought what he told the doctor was confession, he claimed.

He said he had no criminal record, "not even a parking ticket".

Other conditions include him having to hand over the PIN for his mobile phone to police, and not to use internet-connected devices which cannot be later checked by officers.

He has previously said: "I don't have a life, I cannot work, I cannot have any form of relationship, it's absolutely ridiculous."

North Yorkshire Police was expected to outline its arguments for making the order permanent at the hearing.

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