Search results for Chesterfield

Description

A Chesterfield man has been jailed for sexual offences against a child and rape and coercive control against a woman.

Danny Hailes was found guilty of sexual activity with a child, sexual communication with a child, threatening to disclose private sexual photographs with intent to cause distress, and stalking involving fear of violence, against a girl in her early teens.

The 22-year-old was also found guilty of controlling and coercive behaviour, and rape against a woman in her twenties.

Hailes offences first came to light when the school of the teenage girl raised concerns about him.

He was then arrested and was still under investigation for the offences against the first victim, when he went on to offend against the second victim.

Hailes was arrested again when the woman reported that he had been controlling her and had gone on to rape her.

Hailes was subsequently charged with the offences against both victims but denied all of them.

He was sent for trial in June this year and a jury found him guilty of the above charges against the two victims after a 13-day-trial.

Hailes, of Heather Vale Road, Hasland, had additionally been charged with controlling and coercive behaviour, rape, and stalking against a third woman but was found not guilty of these during the trial.

On 14 September, a judge sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment.

Hailes was also handed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and lifetime restraining orders in respect of his victims.

He will be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register and the Child’s Barred List, which means he can be prevented from working with children.

Officer in the case for Victim 1, Detective Constable Matt Charlesworth said:

“I would like to commend the victims in this case for their bravery in coming forwards and giving evidence in court regarding the horrific crimes they have been subjected to at the hands of such a dangerous, manipulative and controlling individual.

“I also wish to publicly extend my thanks to other witnesses who put their own anxieties and fears to one side, by providing evidence and making an invaluable contribution to securing his conviction.

“Whilst I am sure no sentence can offer suitable redress for the level of trauma Hailes has caused, I do hope that this outcome goes at least some way towards allowing all those affected by his actions the opportunity for some form of closure”.

Officer in the case for Victim 2, Detective Staff Investigator David Wright said:

“Danny Hailes said in open court that he was a player. The jury decided on the evidence that he was in fact a predator.

“At no point has he took responsibility for his actions, nor shown any remorse.

“He has made both victims relive their ordeals in court as an attempt to maintain control over them till the last.

“During the investigation, he refused to provide the PIN for his phones and was asked again in front of the jury by the prosecuting barrister for his PIN, but he refused.

“He clearly had something to hide, and the CPS applied for a deprivation order for his phones due to the nature of the offending.

“Above everything else, I must thank the victims for the courage they have shown in reporting Hailes’ crimes and seeing the case through till trial.”

Description

A man has been jailed for 10 and a half years after being found guilty of three counts of rape and false imprisonment

Benjamin Wilson (03/08/1990) of Norwood Avenue, Chesterfield, was sentenced to over 10 years in prison after being found guilty of offences committed in Manchester city centre in June 2022.

Detectives carried out a sensitive, victim-led investigation after Wilson exploited an extremely vulnerable and intoxicated victim.

The victim plucked up the courage to go on a night out with friends in Manchester, however, she became separated from them and was later subjected to a serious sexual assault, linked to a suspected drink spiking.

During the evening, the victim and her friend believed their drinks had been tampered with. She later found herself alone, heavily intoxicated, and extremely vulnerable. She encountered Wilson near a takeaway, where he took advantage of the situation, guiding her into a taxi before repeatedly raping her at a flat in Manchester.

The following morning, Wilson dropped her near the hotel where she had been due to stay with her friend. She reported the incident shortly afterwards.

Due to the trauma she experienced and previous medical PTSD, officers worked closely with the victim’s parents and a trusted colleague to support the investigation and help identify, locate, arrest, and charge the offender.

From the outset, investigators faced significant challenges, including limited early forensic opportunities, issues securing CCTV footage and the need to prioritise the victim’s wellbeing.

Hundreds of hours of work went into analysing witness accounts, financial and phone data, intelligence checks, and overcoming cross-force barriers to make an arrest in Derbyshire.

Officers progressed the case carefully to avoid causing further trauma, using digital evidence, including phone data and social media, to establish key links and identify the suspect.

The case was ultimately built through meticulous investigation, persistence, and, crucially, the strength and courage of the victim’s testimony.

DC Phillip Sargeant of Longsight CID said:

“I am awestruck not only by the courage of the victim in coming forward, but also by her patience and resilience in waiting for justice.

“The impact on her, her family and her support network has been profound. I hope today’s sentence provides some measure of closure and enables them to move on from this traumatic experience.

“We have worked hard to support her throughout, allowing her to guide the pace of the investigation and how she engaged with the process.

“I hope this case reassures others that they will be taken seriously and supported sensitively by Greater Manchester Police, no matter how long it takes.”

Description

Following the courage of a young girl and a jury who saw through a Derbyshire man’s deception, Paul Dowsing has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for repeatedly raping a child.

Dowsing, 61, of Creswell Road, Clowne, Derbyshire was found guilty by jury at Sheffield Crown Court earlier this month (16 January) following a five-day trail where the court heard how Dowsing had continuously raped a child over a three-year period.

Dowsing’s victim has showed incredible bravery throughout the investigation and officers have commended her bravery in ensuring that Dowsing serves times in prison for his actions.

Investigating Officer Simone Stacey from the Rotherham Protecting Vulnerable People Team said:

“The courage this victim has shown is extraordinary. Coming forward to report such a traumatic crime takes immense strength, and throughout the entire investigation she has displayed resilience that commands deep respect.

“Her determination to speak the truth after such a prolonged period of abuse has been vital in securing justice.

“I personally want to commend her bravery and other victims of sexual abuse who may be suffering in silence — that we will always listen, we will always support you, and we will do everything in our power to hold offenders accountable. We are here for you when you’re ready to talk.”

Dowsing appeared at Sheffield Crown Court today (30 January) and was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

He was also given a restraining order and a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

IO Stacey added:

“While I understand that today’s sentencing does not erase the abuse the victim has suffered, I hope it brings some closure to this chapter of her life and enables her to move on.”

Victims of rape are automatically granted lifelong anonymity under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act. Please remember that it is a criminal offence to identify them in any way.

Description

A registered sex offender has been jailed after being found in possession of indecent images of children.

Jason McCall, a convicted paedophile, is subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention order which poses prohibitions on what the 49-year-old is allowed to do.

This includes the use or possession of any electronic device with internet access, without notifying police within three days, and making any such device immediately available upon request for examination by officers.

Detectives made an unannounced visit to McCall’s address on 12 November.

At first it appeared that he wasn’t at home, so an officer called his mobile.

McCall answered and claimed he was miles away from home. Officers then spoke to staff at the address, who advised them McCall was at home and accompanied them to his door – which he answered.

McCall was then asked to hand over all internet enabled devices, which he did but claimed he couldn’t find his phone. An officer then called the phone, which began ringing, and McCall eventually produced it from his trouser pocket.

When handing the device over he told officers ‘There is stuff on there’.

McCall was arrested but refused to be interviewed by officers. His devices were found to contain several indecent images of children.

He was charged and remanded to appear at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court on 13 November, where he admitted making two category A images, one category B image, and two category C images.

McCall, of Derby Road, Wingerworth, was then remanded into prison custody ahead of a sentencing hearing at Derby Crown Court on 12 December.

He was handed a three-year jail term by a judge.

Description

A man has been jailed after he sent a string of explicit messages to an underage teenage girl and began a sexual relationship with her.

Kaylam Prince was arrested in July 2024 after the messages, which included requests for the victim to send naked images of herself, were uncovered.

The 28-year-old was charged and remanded and initially denied the charges against him before pleading guilty to sexual communication with a child, and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Prince, of Gloucester Road, Stonegravels, Chesterfield, was sentenced to 28 months imprisonment during a hearing at Derby Crown Court on Friday 29 August.

He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which imposes restrictions on Prince’s internet usage and his access to children under the age of 16.

A restraining order was also granted to specifically protect the victim in the case.

Both orders remain active for a period of 5 years.

Officer in the case, PC Eloise Cooper, said:

“Kaylam Prince knowingly began a sexual relationship with a child who was well below the age of consent.

“He encouraged her to send sexual images of herself and incited her into engaging in sexual activity.

“Throughout this case the victim, who is still a young girl, has shown real courage when speaking with officers and has provided key evidence which has helped to secure this conviction.

“Her family have also been extremely supportive of the investigation and have ensured that we have been able to do everything our power to ensure that Kaylam Prince is brought to justice.”

Description

A man who groomed and sexually abused two young girls two decades ago, has been jailed.

Darren Kay plied the girls with alcohol and cigarettes, gaining their trust, before going on to sexually assault and rape them.

The victims who are now in their 30s were young teenagers when Kay, then in his 30s, abused them between 2004 and 2006.

Kay’s offences went undetected for almost 20 years, until one of the victims saw him in public and the memories of what happened to her came flooding back.

Following this report, the other victim also came forward and an investigation was launched in 2022.

Kay attended a voluntary police interview and, in December 2022, was charged with multiple sexual offences against the girls.

The 56-year-old of Hill Top, Bolsover denied the charges and was sent to trial at Derby Crown Court.

A jury found him guilty of two counts of rape, one count of digital penetration, and three counts of sexual touching against a child between the ages of 13-15.

On June 27, a judge handed Kay a 12-year prison term and granted indefinite restraining orders to protect the victims in the case.

Detective Sergeant Mark Webb, who oversaw the case said:

“I want to commend the two very brave women in this case, who had already lived with the trauma of what Kay had done to them for 20 years and then had to wait a further three years from their initial report to police to the case being heard at court.

“The sentence given highlights the seriousness of what Kay did to these women, when they were just young girls.

“His actions were predatory and calculated, and something he clearly thought he could get away with.

“Kay prolonged the suffering of the women he abused by denying the charges against him and forcing them to endure a trial.

“To anyone reading this who may have also suffered sexual assault or abuse, whether now or in the past, please do speak to someone. There is help available, whether you wish to involve the police or not.

“If you do feel able to contact us, we will always listen, investigate and support you through the process.”

Description

A predator who took advantage of a teenage boy's infatuation with him has been jailed.

Matthew Helliwell, 36, preyed upon the young boy and sexually abused him on three occasions, Sheffield Crown Court heard on Friday, October 4. His victim - now an adult - bravely faced him in court as he told him: "I have got closure from people listening to me."

Helliwell, of Chesterfield, was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child following a trial. It was said that he undertook a "meaningful" attempt on his own life in the court's cells following the jury's verdicts.

The victim took to the witness stand to read out his statement and said: "I reported this nearly four years ago. It had been delayed for some time. I have had to deal with this ever since it happened but it was amplified when my family found out. My mental health has been really suffering for two years...

"It all started when I was 13 to 14 years old. I was diagnosed with depression last year and have been given medication to help...I don't think anyone should have to go through this...There are moments where I forget about it and am my happy self again, then I have moments where I cry myself to sleep because I have to face him again.

"This experience has made me realise how strong I am. It made me feel I can take control of my life and move on. I got closure from people listening to me.

"The happy child I once was had to endure explicit sexual abuse and felt trapped because I had to keep it secret and I didn't realise what was happening. It has taken everything in my willpower to come to court today but I will no longer feel embarrassed because I was a child and he was a grown man."

Mitigating, Laura Marshall said Helliwell had no previous convictions on his record. She added there was a doctor's report given to the court. She told Recorder of Sheffield Judge Jeremy Richardson KC: "There are no real concerns - you know hat happened in the cells when he was remanded but the doctor has no real concerns."

The barrister said the delay in proceedings was of no fault of Helliwell, who was first interviewed in 2020 but then not ordered to appear at the magistrates' court until September 2022. She said: "You will see he has been making very good progress while in custody, making the best use of his time there the best he can. He is anxious to know his fate but he is realistic."

The court heard Helliwell's partner killed themselves last year.

Jailing him for seven years Judge Richardson told him: "These were individual and single acts. He was an adolescent boy when these crimes occurred. At the time you were in your early 30s...It appears that he had an infatuation or certain feelings for you. As a consequence, you took advantage of that situation.

"His feelings were reciprocated and this involved the sexual abuse...I have read the psychiatric report against you and I find you made a very real suicide attempt at this court when you were convicted..."

The judge said there was an "element of grooming" and a "breach of trust" committed by Helliwell against his victim. He added: "Although your sexual misconduct was repeated, it was not repeated many times...This was not one of those cases where there is sexual abuse going on for months on end. There were three separate, individual occasions."

The judge made Helliwell the subject of a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his victim for 10 years, and notification requirements indefinitely.

Description

An evil paedophile threatened his young victim into remaining silent, saying she would be taken into care if she ever told anyone.

Andrew Meehan was jailed for 14 years at Leeds Crown Court this week after he was found guilty by a jury of multiple offences against an 11-year-old, and a further offence against a 15-year-old.

The court heard that Meehan initially “tested the water” with the girl and would show her sex toys and made her watch him masturbate.

He then began a campaign of abuse, sexually touching her and making her perform sex acts, telling her to “just do it”. The girl later said she cried herself to sleep.

But in a move that the judge described as being “mean, nasty and manipulative”, Meehan then targeted the girl over social media, pretending to be a 13-year-old boy and befriended her. He then then convinced her to send him explicit images, which he later shared to humiliate her.

The girl later tried to confide in others, but retracted her claims when Meehan said she would be taken into care and her family would disown her.

He later sexually assaulted the older victim by touching her bottom after making sexual comments.

Meehan, now of Orchard View Road, Chesterfield, was found guilty of assault of a girl under 13 by penetration, rape a girl under 13, cause or incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault and possessing an indecent image.

Little mitigation was offered due his denials of the offences, but it was heard he had never been in trouble before.

He was told he must serve the-thirds of his sentence, rather than the usual half, before being considered for parole, and was put on the sex offender register for life.

Description

A paedophile from Derbyshire who sexually abused a girl when she was aged just eight has been handed a 14-year jail sentence.

Derby Crown Court heard how the victim had to relive her ordeal at the hands of Wayne Lilley giving evidence at a trial where he was found guilty of charges against her.

In a victim impact statement, the now teenager said what happened to her “impacts every part of her life” and that she did not report the abuse at the time as the defendant told her he would hurt her if she did.

And while he was on bail and under investigation for the sexual offences, the 39-year-old twice physically assaulted a woman he was in a relationship with and broke her wrist. Handing him a 13-year jail term, plus an extra 12-month extended licence, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “The victim impact statement outlines all of the ways this has affected this young lady.

“She is almost unrecognisable from the girl she was. She has gone from being a well-liked and popular student who was getting great school reports to one that is now so damaged.

“She is being bullied at school and suffers night terrors and nightmares. You stole what remained of her childhood.”

Vanessa Marshall KC, prosecuting, said Lilley refused to accept he carried out the sexual abuse. She said following a trial earlier this year, after hearing all of the evidence, a jury found him guilty of sexual assault of the girl.

The prosecutor read the victim’s statement, which was made by her mother. In it she said: “Our lives have been turned upside down. She was well-liked and now she is in crisis every day.

“The kids at her school heard rumours about what had happened to her and began bullying her. She moved school and now finds it incredibly difficult to make new friends.

“She suffers psychological issues, is sometimes not eating and other times overeating and even now is anxious around men she does not know even looking at her.”

Miss Marshall said Lilley, of Station Road, Bolsover, was arrested in January 2023 and bailed. But that month and then, in May last year, he assaulted his then partner, the second attack being captured on someone's mobile phone and was played at this week’s sentencing hearing.

He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm in relation to those attacks. Siward James-Moore, mitigating, said his client still maintains he is not guilty of the sex attacks but pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to the physical assaults.

As well as the jail sentence, the judge handed the defendant a lifetime sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the sex offender register, also for life.

Description

A man who raped and sexually abused a child has been jailed for 18 years.

Martyn Garland carried out a catalogue of horrific abuse against the girl who hadnt even reached her teens.

His crimes came to light when she reported the matter to police years later.

In a victim impact statement, she said: I have spent many years crying for the little girl that got trapped inside of me after he destroyed my innocence and my childhood.

The trauma has hung over me like a shadow that has crept into every part of my existence leaving me feeling like a lost cause, like Ive been damaged beyond repair.

I havent been able to put my trust into anybody for almost 20 years and I dont believe that there is anybody that I will ever fully trust.

There have been times where I have felt suicidal because the pain has been too much where I have turned to alcohol to stop me from feeling for a moment. But I know that deep down I dont want to die. I have too much to live for.

I just so desperately want, need, the pain to stop.

I am trying so hard to be stronger. This has honestly impacted everything that I do. Each day I wake up and I have to force myself to get out of bed when all I want to do is just lay there.

I live it every day. Its because I dont feel like any of these words are enough. They dont truly convey exactly how much hes destroyed and how much of my life hes truly taken away. I know I would be an entirely different person and had an entirely different life had this not happened and that is a difficult thing to comprehend.

Garland, 50, of Mercaston Close, Holme Hall, Chesterfield, was arrested and subsequently charged with a number of offences including rape, sexual assault, cause/incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and assault by penetration.

He denied the offences, forcing the woman to go through a trial but a jury saw through his lies and he was convicted after a trial at Derby Crown Court.

He appeared at the same court for sentencing on Friday 19 April where he was jailed for 18 years with an extended licence period of a year. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

Description

A convicted sex offender who pretended to be a teenager and sent sexually explicit messages to children on social media has been jailed.

Tom Brown created two accounts on Snapchat, including one he used to pose as his ‘older brother’ and messaged what he thought were girls aged 12 and 13. However he was actually speaking to undercover police officers.

The 34-year-old committed the offences while subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order banning him from using any messaging service to contact anyone under the age of 16.

Brown, who has a number of previous convictions for similar offences, set up an account on Snapchat and began messaging an account he believed belonged to a 13-year-old girl in June 2023. He claimed to be a 14-year-old boy from Sheffield who had an older brother and asked the girl if she would travel to meet them both for sexual activity.

On the same date, Brown also started messaging another account, which he believed to belong to a 12-year-old girl. He initially said he was a 14-year-old from Sheffield but then later claimed to be a 12-year-old from Derby. 

Brown continued messaging this account for several days, asking the girl to send pictures of herself. He also sent pictures and videos to her showing him performing a sex act.

Investigations found the Snapchat account was being accessed via an IP address linked to registered sex offender Brown’s home in Lower Grove Road, Chesterfield.

He was arrested on 19 June 2023 and subsequently charged with:

• attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child
• causing a child aged 13 to 15 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity,
• arrange/facilitate commission of child sex offence – sexual activity – no penetration
• attempt to cause/incite a female child aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity – no penetration
• attempt to cause a female aged 13 or over to engage in sexual activity – no penetration
• five counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

He admitted the charges and appeared at Derby Crown Court for sentencing on Monday 8 January when he was jailed for three years and eight months with an extended licence period of three years. He must also sign the sex offender’s register and was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A Chesterfield rapist who left a woman suffering nightmares and anxiety has been jailed.

Rys Turner’s vile actions were uncovered after the woman came forward and told officers of the rape after he assaulted her in March 2023.

In a statement read out at court, she explained the devastating impact that the crimes had on her. She said: ”I’ve been taking sleeping tablets because my thoughts keep me awake at night and I don’t want to fall to sleep and have anymore nightmares about everything.

“I don’t think my life will ever be the same after this.

“I just want to be left alone, I don’t want to see anyone and I don’t want to speak to anyone either.

“I’m so closed off from the outside world it’s affecting my anxiety even more.

“Sleeping is still a massive struggle, the nightmares put me right back in those traumatic moments, they feel so real I’m waking up in a panic.”

The 26-year-old, of Littlemoor, Newbold, appeared at Derby Crown Court on 15 December when he was jailed for six years after admitting rape.

He was also handed a restraining order preventing him from having any contact with the victim for 16 years and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

Description

This perverted pensioner from Derbyshire tried to actively encourage someone to sexually abuse a nine-year-old girl for his own sexual gratification. Derby Crown Court heard how Robert Guy also told the person he would buy the girl a crop top as a gift and when police went to his address, officers found him looking to buy one on his iPad.

But unbeknown to the 76-year-old paedophile the person he was communicating with online was really a police officer posing as a like-minded sex offender. And these offences are not the first of a similar nature he has committed.

Jailing him for three years, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “You have been before the courts before in connection with offending relating to young children. In 2013, that involved you looking at pictures rather than being involved in offending where you were suggesting what should be done.

“You were handed a community order and there’s a suggestion that you paid lip service to that order because against that background you could not stop being involved with young children and on this occasion you got involved with a decoy you thought was a real person that you thought was prepared to sexually-abuse a nine-year-old girl.

“You actively and willingly encouraged them, for your own sexual gratification, to assault them both physically and mentally and encouraged the degradation and humiliation of what was a very young person indeed.”

Alice Aubrey-Fletcher, prosecuting, said an alert was received by the police that an internet address linked to Guy was communicating with the decoy police officer and he was arrested. She said police recovered chat logs from his devices showing how he had a username called “Lexworth” and through it encouraged the decoy to sexually abuse a nine-year-old called Taylor.

The prosecutor said: “He thought this abuse was happening at the time and he encouraged it. There was discussion about him buying the girl a gift, he suggested a crop top and asked what size she was.

“There was then a suggestion that they meet up but the day before the police went to his address and arrested him. When they did he was using his iPad and police found him searching for crop tops on the internet.

“On three of his four devices, officers found indecent images of children including naked three and four-year-old girls.” Guy, of Fairfield Road, Chesterfield, pleaded guilty to encouraging a child to participate in sexual behaviour and possession of indecent images of children.

Denney Lau, mitigating, said his client has formed a new relationship with a woman who lives in Bulgaria. He said: “The offences are from February 2022 and he has been before the court on a number of occasions.

“It is something that has been playing on his mind and he can’t move on. Every time he comes to court he has to make a phone call to his partner saying he might never see her again.”

As well as the jail term, Judge Smith handed the defendant a lifetime sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the sex offender register for life.

Description

A paedophile from Derbyshire sent an underage teen money to buy underwear and then got her to send him a photograph of her wearing it.

Derby Crown Court heard how pervert Alex Green messaged the victim from his Instagram account asking to meet him in York where they could stay overnight. The convicted sex offender also messaged a different girl, aged just 11, telling her “you look sweaty, you should take a shower”.

And at the time the 39-year-old was forbidden from contacting anyone aged under 18 due to his previous similar crimes.

Jailing him for two years and four months, Recorder Adrian Reynolds said: “I am not going to give you a lecture because the position in this case is quite straightforward. You were given a chance by way of a community order on the strength of your pre-sentence report in 2021 when you were assessed as being able to be managed in the community.

“When judges give that chance they do so on the basis that, from what they read about you, there’s a realistic prospect that offenders will do their best to deal with their sexual attraction to, in your case, young girls.

“That is why there are things like sexual harm prevention orders and why you get visits from (a specialist offender management team). All of those things are there to try and deal with your risk.

“But that does not take into account what happened behind the scenes where, in your position, you have continued to contact young girls. You are paying lip service to this order and it is quite apparent to me that you have expressed a high degree of deviousness and that means you can’t be trusted.”

Eddie Leonard, prosecuting, said the order was handed to Green in 2018 as part of his punishment for sexual offences against children. She said under its terms he was forbidden from contacting anyone under the age of 18.

The prosecutor said: “This offence came to light because on March 11, 2022, the mother of an 11-year-old girl checked her phone, as she regularly did and on it found a message from this defendant’s Instagram account which were inappropriate including one saying ‘you look sweaty, you should have a shower’. She phoned him but he did not pick up so she sent him a message saying her daughter was only 11.

“On March 17, 2022, police then attended his address and recovered a Samsung mobile and on it were messages he had sent to a 15-year-old girl saying he loved her. It was clear he had also sent her money on two occasions.

“One was just under £50 for her to buy underwear and another for £30. He also requested she send him photos of herself in the underwear, which she did, and he also suggested they meet in York and stay overnight.”

Green, of Stuart Close, Tapton, Chesterfield, pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, one of making an indecent image of a child and a fourth charge of sexual communication with a child. Denney Lau, mitigating, said his client, who appeared over a link from Nottingham Magistrates’ Court due to his mobility issues, “was well aware how seriously the court takes such offences”. He said: “He is very realistic about what is going to happen to him.”

As well as the jail term, Recorder Reynolds revoked the existing sexual harm prevention order and handed him a new lifetime one. The defendant will also be on the sex offender register for the next 10 years.

Description

A comedian who has appeared on Channel 4’s 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown has been sentenced after being found with more than 35,000 indecent images of children.

Christopher Thomas Binns, whose character is hospital DJ Ivan Brackenbury, pleaded guilty last November to five counts of making indecent images of children and one of possessing a prohibited image.

Derby Crown Court heard the 53-year-old was found to have thousands of images on multiple devices.

Binns, who has no previous convictions, was spared jail on Thursday, with Judge Shaun Smith KC handing him a suspended sentence.

Lauren Fisher, prosecuting, said 104 category A indecent images – the most serious – were found, along with 411 in category B and 34,946 in category C.

Ms Fisher also said three prohibited images were found, along with one category B and one C moving image.

However, Judge Smith warned that some of the images may have been duplicates.

Ms Fisher said all the images were downloaded between March 26 and November 21, 2020.

She said: “Between October 14 and 15, 2020 the National Crime Agency received information that the user of [the defendant’s email] had uploaded multiple category C indecent images of children.”

A warrant was executed at Binns’s address at Bole Hill, Calow, Derbyshire, and he was arrested, with 39 devices seized including a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and an iPad.

Ms Fisher said: “During the investigation, it was established that a third party of Mr Binns’s partner had been asked to sell several devices on behalf of Mr Binns.

“Those devices were also checked.”

The devices, including two hard drives, were found to also include thousands of accessible and inaccessible images, including 25,000 inaccessible category C images.

Matthew Hayes, mitigating, said Binns had not committed any other offences since this incident and referenced the impact of prescribed medication his client was taking at the time, but did not fully elaborate in court.

In an earlier statement to the comedy news website Chortle, Binns said: “Over two years ago, while under the influence of an overdose of prescription drugs for ADHD, which induced obsessive-compulsive disorder, I downloaded and deleted a very large amount of adult pornography over a short period of time.

“Within those downloads, it appears there was some child pornography which I had not sought out nor wanted.

“I have no sexual interest in children. I have taken and passed a polygraph stating I have no sexual interest in children.

“I am bitterly upset at the hurt this has caused my family, for which I take full responsibility.

“I will take my punishment for this and hope that my family are not further harmed by my actions.”

Judge Smith said Binns’s offending was “simply unacceptable” but deemed he does not pose a risk to the public, and is unlikely to re-offend.

He gave Binns a combined 10-month sentence, suspended for 15 months, made him the subject of a sexual harm prevention order, and ordered him to sign the sex offender register, both for 10 years.

He said: “You are sickened by what it was that you were downloading and looking at and, quite frankly, you don’t need me to tell you that you should be, because this kind of offending has real victims.

“It is right to say that had it not been for Covid, had it not been for the medication you were taking at that period of time, you would not be before the court, but the fact is that you are.

“You have returned to the law-abiding life that you were living before these offences.”

Binns’s character Ivan Brackenbury was nominated at the Edinburgh Festival for the Edinburgh Comedy Award 2007, and he has also appeared on BBC drama Spooks and Channel 4’s IT Crowd.

Following sentencing, Holly Triggs, operations manager at the National Crime Agency, said: “Tom Binns deliberately collected a huge number of indecent images of children.

“Behind each one is an abused child who has had their wellbeing, innocence and privacy violated.

“Demand for images is a major driver of child sexual abuse globally, so we at the NCA are unrelenting in our commitment to protecting children from sexual abuse and bringing serious offenders to justice.”