ALISTAIR TOUGH'S CRIMES IN MARKET WEIGHTON: SEX OFFENDER'S REPEATED OFFENSES AND SOFTWARE BREACHES

In April 2022, a disturbing case emerged involving Alistair Tough, a convicted sex offender from Market Weighton, who was caught attempting to engage in highly inappropriate and illegal communications with a decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl. The incident was uncovered by paedophile hunters, who had set up a sting operation to expose his predatory behavior.

According to court reports, Tough had been under surveillance after previous convictions and was aware of the risks associated with his actions. Despite having been given a second chance by the judicial system, he chose to ignore the warnings and continued to pursue his sick interests. During the investigation, Tough exchanged messages with the decoy girl, who claimed to be 13 years old. In these messages, he expressed a desire to see her in the shower and requested photographs of her in her school uniform and underwear.

He explicitly asked her to delete their conversations before sleeping, indicating an awareness of the illicit nature of their exchanges. Tough also inquired about watching her in the shower and asked for images of her in her school attire. When the decoy sent a photograph, he responded with a simple compliment, calling it a "pretty pic."

Furthermore, Tough requested the girl to send pictures of herself in her pyjamas and underwear, revealing his disturbing obsession. His comments and requests demonstrated a clear intent to engage in sexual activity with a minor, which he believed was a 13-year-old girl. Despite knowing the severe legal consequences, he continued to communicate in a sexually charged manner.

It is important to note that Tough was required to register as a sex offender annually, a legal obligation he failed to fulfill. His previous convictions included a 2019 sentence of one year suspended imprisonment for making indecent images of children, along with a decade-long registration requirement. In 2018, police found him in possession of hundreds of child sexual abuse images, including 518 Category A images, 544 Category B images, and 354 Category C images, most of which were movies.

The latest offences came to light after police were alerted by the paedophile hunters group, who reported that Tough had been involved in sexualized conversations on Facebook with the fake 13-year-old girl. The messages revealed his continued obsession with minors and his willingness to pursue illegal and morally reprehensible acts.

During the court hearing at Hull Crown Court, Judge John Thackray QC condemned Tough’s actions, stating, "You were given a golden opportunity by the court in March 2019 to resolve the obvious and very serious issues that you have and you have gone on to commit very serious offences." The judge emphasized that although no actual harm was caused because the girl was a decoy, Tough’s intent was clear and his actions demonstrated a disturbing pattern of sexual predation.

Judge Thackray sentenced Tough to eight months in prison and mandated that he register as a sex offender for ten years. The seriousness of his offences warranted immediate custodial detention, reflecting the gravity of his repeated violations and failure to adhere to legal restrictions.

In a separate incident in January 2021, Tough was found to have breached his sexual harm prevention order by downloading banned software onto his Samsung Galaxy phone. Despite being under a 10-year order following his previous conviction, he installed a "secure wipe" app, which is designed to permanently delete files from devices. This act was considered a breach of his legal restrictions, as the software could be used to conceal illicit material.

During the court proceedings, prosecutor Richard Thompson explained that Tough’s actions violated the conditions of his order, which was intended to monitor and prevent further offences. Judge David Tremberg sentenced Tough to six months suspended for one year and ordered him to complete additional rehabilitation sessions, highlighting the ongoing concern regarding his compliance and risk to the community.