ALAN LEYSHON FROM STOCKTON-ON-TEES CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND STRUGGLES TO WORK AS PARAMEDIC
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Stockton-on-Tees community, Alan Leyshon, a 62-year-old former paramedic and ex-military serviceman, was found to possess a disturbing collection of child abuse images.The incident came to light in February 2018 when Leyshon was caught with a total of 820 illicit images stored on a laptop and a tablet at his residence, which he lived in alone.
The court heard that these images predominantly depicted young girls aged between three and ten years old, with the most severe category including 76 images, of which 60 were videos, illustrating the distressing and illegal content.
Prosecutor Emma Atkinson detailed the nature of the images during the hearing at Teesside Crown Court, emphasizing the gravity of the material.
Leyshon himself admitted to the charges, expressing remorse and confusion about his actions, stating, “I don’t know why I did it.
I was stupid.
I knew the implications.” The charges included three counts of making indecent images of children, all committed within the Middlesbrough area.
The court was particularly disturbed by the content, which included videos of very young children, some as young as babies, being subjected to sexual abuse, distress, and harm.
Judge Recorder Dafydd Enoch QC addressed the severity of the case, questioning the message sent to the public if such material is overlooked.
He remarked, “But it’s 60 videos of distressed babies.
What sort of message does it send to the public if somebody who has stuff like that doesn’t go to prison?” Despite the seriousness of the offences, after careful consideration, the judge decided against imposing a custodial sentence.
Instead, Leyshon was given a one-year jail term, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 30 days of rehabilitation activities.
The court also imposed a sexual harm prevention order and mandated that Leyshon be listed on the sex offenders’ register for the next ten years.
Following the court proceedings, it was noted that Leyshon’s address was recorded as a hotel in County Durham, indicating his current residence outside Stockton-on-Tees.
The case has had significant repercussions on Leyshon’s professional life, as the Fitness to Practice Committee at the Nursing and Midwifery Council concluded in September 2018 that he was no longer fit to work as a paramedic for the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, effectively ending his career in emergency medical services.
The decision was based on the details of his offence, which the panel deemed incompatible with the responsibilities and ethical standards required of healthcare professionals.
