ALAN MORRIS FROM RUCKINGE JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN ASHFORD

In September 2018, Alan Morris, a resident of Poundhurst Road in Ruckinge near Ashford, was sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of possessing a vast collection of illegal images depicting children. The case drew significant attention due to the disturbing nature of the material and the circumstances surrounding Morris's activities.

According to court reports, Morris, aged 60, claimed that his interest in these illicit images was linked to his work as a screenwriter. He asserted that he was developing a script centered around the theme of child prostitution and had accessed various online chatrooms to better understand the mindset of paedophiles, ostensibly for research purposes. However, this explanation did little to mitigate the severity of his actions.

The authorities, specifically the Paedophile Online Investigation Team, conducted a raid on Morris’s residence in August of the previous year. During the search, they discovered that Morris had downloaded and stored an alarming number of indecent images. When his electronic devices were examined, investigators recovered more than 25,000 illegal images, including both photographs and videos, some of which were classified at the most severe level of indecency.

During police interviews, Morris admitted to possessing these images but attempted to justify his actions by claiming that his activities were part of his filmmaking hobby. He insisted that the images he viewed and shared were related to his research for a film project. Morris also used the alias 'Jon' on the chat platform Chatstep and later described himself as a part-time writer and actor.

He further explained that he had been using what he called a 'kid chatroom' while working on a film titled 'Nemesis,' which he was trying to produce. Morris stated that his intention was to engage with paedophiles or paedophile hunters in these online spaces to gather information for his work.

Despite his bail conditions, Morris was re-arrested in December after police uncovered evidence suggesting he had engaged in sexual communications with a minor through online chat. He faced additional charges of attempting to communicate sexually with a child and inciting a minor to engage in sexual activity.

Judge Heather Norton, presiding over the case at Canterbury Crown Court, emphasized the danger Morris posed to children. She sentenced him to five years in prison, underscoring the serious threat his actions represented to the safety and well-being of minors in the community of Ruckinge and beyond.