ANDREW LOCK: KINGSTON SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL VIOLATION

In a disturbing case that has shocked the Kingston community, Andrew Lock, a 52-year-old accountant residing on Cromwell Road, has been convicted and sentenced for serious offenses related to child pornography and breach of sex offender registration conditions.

Back in February 2008, Lock was sentenced to six months in prison after admitting to downloading nearly 800 indecent images of children. This conviction followed a prior conviction in 2004, when he was ordered to register as a sex offender for five years after being found with four indecent images of children on his computer. Despite this previous warning, Lock's offending behavior escalated significantly.

The police investigation into Lock's activities was initiated in 2006 when the Metropolitan Police received a tip from their Dutch counterparts. The tip indicated that Lock’s IP address had been recorded downloading images from a child pornography website. This international cooperation led to a search of Lock’s residence on May 10, 2007, during which authorities seized four computers. The forensic examination of these devices revealed a staggering 489 indecent images of children stored on three of the computers. Additionally, two discs belonging to Lock, provided by a family member, contained a further 198 indecent images.

Lock was formally arrested and charged on July 19, 2007. He subsequently pleaded guilty on January 29, 2008, to nine counts of making indecent images and one count of possessing an indecent image of a child under the age of nine. Detective Constable Richard Morgan, a member of the Metropolitan Police’s paedophile unit, explained that nine of the images found on Lock’s computer were classified as “type four,” which is considered the second most serious category of indecent images.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Lock’s offending was not an isolated incident. Detective Morgan highlighted that Lock had previously been caught in a similar situation when he took his laptop for repairs, at which point indecent images were discovered. Despite this earlier warning, Lock’s behavior did not cease, and his offending escalated over time.

On February 21, 2008, Lock was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to six months imprisonment. The court also ordered him to be placed on the sex offenders register for a period of ten years. Detective Morgan emphasized the importance of such sentences, stating, “No matter how many indecent images a person downloads, whether a handful or thousands, this illegal activity endangers innocent children and will not be tolerated.”

In addition to his child pornography offenses, Lock’s record includes a violation of the conditions of his sex offender registration. In September 2007, he was sentenced to 28 days in jail for failing to provide police with adequate notice of his travel plans abroad. The court heard that Lock, who manages property abroad, had been ordered in 2004 to inform police at least seven days before traveling for more than three days and to give detailed information 24 hours prior to departure.

On July 23, 2007, Lock visited Twickenham police station and informed officers that he would be leaving the country from July 24 to July 28. However, he failed to give the required notice more than 24 hours before his departure, breaching the terms of his registration order. His defense argued that Lock’s frequent travel was related to his property management work abroad, and while he admitted to having a “cavalier attitude” in this instance, he had been compliant with his registration obligations for three years. The court noted that Lock had already served 27 days in custody on bail and subsequently released him after sentencing.

This case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat child exploitation and the importance of strict adherence to registration and reporting requirements by sex offenders. The authorities reaffirm their commitment to protecting children and ensuring that offenders are held accountable for their actions.