GUILDFORD CHILD ABUSE IMAGES SCANDAL: ANDREW FYLES CONVICTED OF MAKING INDECENT PICTURES

In August 2013, a disturbing case emerged involving Andrew Fyles, a coach associated with the popular television series Dancing On Ice. Fyles, who was responsible for training performers behind the scenes on the show, was found to have committed serious offenses related to child exploitation. The investigation revealed that Fyles had stored a significant collection of indecent images of children on his personal computer at his residence in Guildford.

Authorities uncovered a total of 1,030 such images, a disturbing cache that included some classified as grade four. This classification indicates that the images depicted sexual acts involving children and adults, highlighting the severity of the material stored by Fyles. The discovery prompted immediate action from law enforcement agencies, leading to his arrest and subsequent conviction.

Fyles, aged 39 at the time, faced multiple charges and was convicted last month of six counts of making indecent images of a child. The court's decision reflected the gravity of his offenses and the potential harm caused by his actions. As part of the sentencing, South West Surrey Justices imposed a three-year sexual offences prevention order on Fyles, restricting his contact with minors and preventing him from working with children in any capacity.

In addition to his criminal conviction, Fyles’s professional reputation was severely damaged. He had previously worked as a coach for children as young as two at a local leisure centre in Guildford. Following the revelations, he was banned from engaging in any activities involving minors and was registered as a sex offender, a measure designed to monitor and restrict his future interactions with children.

ITV, the broadcaster behind Dancing On Ice, issued a statement clarifying that Fyles had not been involved with the show since at least 2008. An insider from the television industry expressed disgust at the situation, stating, “He was a friend to contestants. A lot were parents and they’re disgusted.” The broadcaster emphasized that Fyles’s association with the show was long over and that he no longer had any professional ties to the series. Fyles himself chose not to comment on the case or his convictions, remaining silent in the face of the serious allegations and subsequent legal proceedings.