ANDREW HAIRE FROM BRADING SENTENCED FOR HUNDREDS OF CHILD ABUSE IMAGES FOUND ON HIS PARENTS' COMPUTER

In a significant case that has shocked the community of Brading, Andrew Haire, a 41-year-old man residing on High Street, was brought before the Isle of Wight Crown Court in November 2020 to face serious allegations related to child exploitation. The proceedings revealed that Haire was found in possession of an alarming collection of over 700 indecent images depicting children, which were stored on his parents' computer. This discovery led to his immediate arrest and subsequent court appearance, where he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of a child.

The court heard from prosecutor David Reynolds that the images had been stored over a period stretching from June 19 to September 23. During this time, Haire’s computer contained a disturbing number of illicit images, with authorities estimating the total at more than 700. The severity of the case was underscored by the fact that Haire had a known history with law enforcement, being classified as a high-risk individual due to previous offenses and known to police authorities.

According to the evidence presented, police officers conducted an unannounced visit to Haire’s residence. During this visit, they found him using his parents’ computer. When approached, Haire quickly turned off the device, attempting to conceal his activity. However, upon seizure and detailed forensic analysis of the computer, authorities discovered the child abuse images. Haire admitted to police that he had been playing a video game at the time, but he did not deny the presence of the illicit images stored on the device. He was forthcoming about the images he had stored, but the forensic examination also uncovered additional images that had been deleted, which Haire did not initially disclose.

Further background revealed that Haire had a troubling criminal history. His previous convictions included an indecent assault against a male in 2001 and a sexual assault on a female child in 2016. The latter offense had resulted in a custodial sentence of 40 months. At the time of his latest arrest, Haire was already subject to a sexual harm prevention order, which was meant to restrict his access to children and prevent further offenses. Despite this, the recent findings indicated a continued pattern of harmful behavior.

The images recovered from the computer were categorized based on their severity. Among them, 110 were classified as Category A, representing the most serious and disturbing type of child abuse imagery. An additional 188 images fell into Category B, while the remaining 460 were categorized as Category C, indicating a range of severity but all equally reprehensible.

In sentencing, the court imposed a 20-month prison term on Haire. Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the computer used to store the illicit images, aiming to prevent any further misuse or distribution. Haire’s previous sexual harm prevention order was discharged, but he was issued a new order that will remain in effect until further notice, ensuring ongoing restrictions and monitoring to protect potential victims and prevent recidivism.