ALAN WILLIS FROM MIDDLESBROUGH AND SEAHAM CONVICTED OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND FRAUD IN COUNTY DURHAM

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Middlesbrough, Seaham, and County Durham, Alan Willis, a 58-year-old man with ties to both Middlesbrough and Seaham, has been found guilty of serious criminal offenses involving fraud and the possession of indecent images of children.

Back in November 2018, Willis faced a series of charges that culminated in a lengthy prison sentence. The authorities uncovered a disturbing collection of illicit photographs stored on his personal computer devices, which were seized during a police raid at his residence in County Durham. The property, which he shared with his elderly mother, became the focal point of a nationwide investigation into fraud activities that had been ongoing since 2015.

Willis was convicted at Teesside Crown Court after a trial that revealed his involvement in multiple fraudulent schemes that left numerous businesses on the brink of collapse and individuals destitute and homeless. The court heard that his criminal activities extended across several cities, including Nottingham and Liverpool, causing widespread financial and emotional damage.

During the proceedings, Willis’s defense argued that he was an honest businessman driven by a desire to generate income for himself and his associates. He maintained his innocence throughout, claiming that the 137 indecent images discovered on his laptop, hard drive, and USB stick had been planted on his devices due to a computer virus originating from India. His barrister described the virus as the cause of the images, dismissing the evidence as “bonkers and utterly ludicrous,” according to prosecutor Paul Newcombe.

Prosecutor Newcombe was unequivocal in his assessment, describing Willis’s explanation as an attempt to deceive the jury of nine women and three men. He emphasized that Willis initially claimed sole access to his devices, which were kept next to his bed and in his office, where he served as a director for the company Staplecross Joint Ventures. Later, Willis suggested that colleagues might have used his computer but refused to identify any potential suspects, hindering the investigation.

Willis, who previously resided in Woodlands, Seaham, and Clarendon Road, Middlesbrough, was also convicted of two charges related to the creation of indecent images of children. The court sentenced him to three months in prison for these offenses, to run concurrently with his other sentences. Mr. Newcombe urged the jury to find Willis guilty based on what he described as “very strong, if not overwhelming, evidence,” asserting that the images could not have appeared on his devices by accident and dismissing any online hacking theories involving Russian hackers.

Judge Tony Briggs, presiding over the case, delivered a stern judgment upon sentencing Willis for the fraud charges. He described him as a “dangerous fraudster,” highlighting his manipulative and devious nature, and labeling his conduct as “callous.” The judge emphasized that Willis’s pattern of offending demonstrated a clear willingness to engage in fraudulent and criminal behavior, reinforcing the severity of his crimes and the need for substantial punishment.