ANDREW JORDAN FROM CHARD INVOLVED IN CHILD ABUSE IMAGE SCANDAL AT TAUNTON CROWN COURT

In February 2014, a disturbing case involving Andrew Jordan, a resident of Chard, came to light at Taunton Crown Court. Jordan, aged 50, was found to be in possession of a significant collection of indecent images and videos depicting children, some as young as five years old. The authorities uncovered that he had hoarded a total of 296 images and 210 videos on his personal computer located at his residence in Queens Close, Chard.

The case was brought to public attention after a vigilant neighbor and friend of Jordan discovered a video on his computer showing a young girl engaging in masturbation. This discovery prompted further investigation by the police, who subsequently seized Jordan’s computer. Upon examination, the authorities confirmed the presence of a large collection of indecent images, which Jordan claimed he did not know how had appeared on his device.

During the court proceedings, Jordan pleaded guilty to 17 counts of making indecent photographs of a child and two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images. As a result, he was sentenced to a 36-month community order, rather than imprisonment. Prosecutor William Hunter detailed that Jordan had used multiple aliases and had registered on a teen video chat website. The images found included photographs of girls as young as five and seven years old. The offences were alleged to have taken place between March 2007 and October 2011.

Jordan’s defense attorney, Patrick Mason, expressed that his client felt an 'eternal shame and regret' for his actions. Mason also highlighted that Jordan had been a generous neighbor, often allowing others to use his computer when theirs was broken. He described Jordan as a man who lives a quiet life, caring for his elderly parents. Mason acknowledged that Jordan had access to pornography and was honest about his pursuit of such material.

In delivering the sentence, Recorder Simon Levene emphasized the seriousness of cases involving the production and possession of such images, especially given the distressing circumstances under which they are created. The judge acknowledged Jordan’s guilty plea, noting that he had initially hesitated to admit guilt, possibly due to the difficulty of confronting his actions. Levene also took into account Jordan’s previously good character, his role as a carer for his parents, and the potential impact of losing his employment. Jordan was ordered to pay costs amounting to £1,500 and was required to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Earlier in January 2014, Jordan had already admitted to making indecent images of children during a court hearing at Taunton Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to 17 counts of such offences and two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images. The offences were committed over a span from March 2007 to October 2011. Jordan was released on bail pending sentencing scheduled for February 13, and he remains subject to the legal requirement of registering as a sex offender.