ALAN COATES FROM HAMSTERLEY SENTENCED IN NEWCASTLE FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

In September 2001, a man with a distinguished background in intelligence and law enforcement was formally sentenced after admitting to possessing and downloading child pornography. Alan Coates, a former MI6 operative and long-serving counter-surveillance expert, found himself at the center of a serious criminal investigation that uncovered disturbing images stored on his personal computer.

Coates, who had dedicated over three decades of his career to intelligence work, later transitioned into a role with Cleveland Police, where he worked behind the scenes on internal investigations. His involvement in law enforcement was well-known, and he held the position of communications manager at the time of his arrest. Despite his professional background, his secret activities related to child pornography came to light when police discovered explicit images of young children on his home computer system.

The case was brought before Newcastle Crown Court, where Judge David Hodson presided. The judge decided that Coates would not face imprisonment because the evidence showed he had not distributed the images nor intended to do so. Instead, Coates was sentenced to a community rehabilitation order for two years and was ordered to register as a sex offender for a period of five years. The court acknowledged his status as a married father of two and recognized his previous good character and service to national security.

At the time of the offense, Coates was employed as a communications manager for Cleveland Police. He pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child under 16. Initially, he faced 15 charges involving indecent images stored on both his home computer and a police-issued computer. However, a jury was unable to reach a verdict on the majority of these charges last year. Coates claimed that the images were planted on his devices because he was engaged in covert surveillance activities targeting fellow officers. Nonetheless, he admitted last month to possessing three images on his personal computer, with the remaining charges being dropped or left on file.

Coates’s background was marked by military service, having joined the Army in 1967. He served with the Royal Corps of Signals and was attached to the American Special Forces following an injury sustained in the line of duty. Later, he was transferred to MI6, where he worked for many years. In 1988, he began working for Cleveland Police, reaching the rank of superintendent. His duties included monitoring officers involved in internal investigations, which added a layer of complexity to his profile.

The discovery of his illicit activities was accidental in nature. It occurred when police received a summons for an unpaid bill related to computer equipment while Coates was abroad. When officers raided his office and home in Hamsterley, County Durham, they uncovered a cache of nearly 2,000 pornographic images stored on floppy disks and computers. Coates only admitted to downloading 35 images, 12 of which depicted children, during a 44-minute internet session in June 1998. His defense lawyer, Ron Mitchell, argued that Coates was dismissed from the police force after his secret was exposed, which resulted in the loss of salary and benefits.

Judge Hodson emphasized the importance of considering Coates’s previous good character and his contributions to national security. He also took into account the fact that Coates had already faced trial and the financial difficulties resulting from his dismissal. Ultimately, the judge concluded that the case did not meet the threshold for a custodial sentence, opting instead for a community-based order aimed at rehabilitation.