ANDREW CRIPPAS FROM SHERFIELD-ON-LODDON SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ABUSE IMAGES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Sherfield-on-Loddon, Andrew Cripps has been sentenced to prison after admitting to a series of heinous crimes involving child exploitation and possession of illegal material. The 20-month jail term was handed down at Winchester Crown Court following Cripps's guilty plea to multiple charges related to indecent images of children and the possession of a notorious paedophile manual.

Cripps, who resides at Meadow Park in Sherfield-on-Loddon, faced serious allegations that included creating and distributing indecent images of minors. The court was informed that he had been responsible for the creation of 26 Category A images, which are classified as the most severe, along with 57 images in Category B and 83 in Category C. Additionally, he was charged with distributing 17 Category A images, 21 Category B, and 20 Category C images. These images depicted children in sexually explicit contexts, highlighting the severity of his actions.

The arrest of Andrew Cripps took place on October 6 of the previous year. The police investigation was triggered by disturbing online conversations between Cripps and a man from West Yorkshire. During these exchanges, the West Yorkshire man reportedly sent images of his granddaughter, accompanied by signs bearing repulsive messages. The conversations between the two men grew increasingly vile, with Cripps referring to the West Yorkshire man as ‘lucky’ and asking if he could sniff the girl’s underwear.

Further evidence revealed that the conversations included a video of the West Yorkshire man sexually abusing his 10-month-old great-granddaughter. Cripps responded to this by sending images of his genitals, demonstrating a disturbing level of depravity. One particularly shocking exchange involved a Category A image of a four-year-old girl, with Cripps commenting in a message, “Look at this dirty little sl*t.”

Cripps openly admitted to being sexually aroused by children aged between five and ten, a fact that was acknowledged during the court proceedings. Despite the gravity of his admissions, Cripps chose to represent himself in court, offering a brief apology, stating, “Sorry for causing so much trouble.”

Judge Keith Cutler, presiding over the case, highlighted Cripps’s honesty about his sexual preferences but emphasized the seriousness of his crimes. The court sentenced Cripps to a total of 20 months in prison for the distribution of indecent images, with additional sentences of eight months for the creation of such images and three months for possessing the “paedophile manual.” All sentences are to run concurrently. Furthermore, Cripps was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next ten years and was required to pay a victim surcharge of £140, reflecting the court’s recognition of the harm caused by his actions.