ANTHONY BATTY FROM WALNEY SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND SEXUAL OFFENCES IN PRESTON

In August 2008, a disturbing case emerged involving Anthony Batty, a resident of Walney, who was convicted of multiple serious offences related to child exploitation and indecent imagery. The incident came to light after Batty was found guilty of engaging in reprehensible acts involving an 11-year-old boy during a fishing trip in Walney.

Batty, who resides at West Shore Park in Walney, was sentenced to nine months in prison on his 57th birthday, following a hearing at Preston Crown Court. The court heard that Batty had pleaded guilty to several charges, including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, taking an indecent photograph of a child, possessing an indecent image, and creating multiple indecent images of children—specifically, nine such images. It was also revealed that Batty had prior convictions related to sex offences and possession of child pornography, indicating a troubling pattern of behavior.

Prosecutor Mr. Nigel Booth detailed the disturbing conduct, stating that Batty had offered the boy £10 to pose naked for a photograph. The young boy, however, refused the offer. On a subsequent occasion, Batty managed to secretly photograph the boy while they were on a fishing trip, an act that the boy immediately recognized and called out upon realizing what was happening. The boy later provided a statement to police, expressing his feelings about the ordeal: “Anthony Batty has ruined part of my childhood and this makes me angry.”

Following the incident, police arrested Batty at his home in Barrow in November. During a search of his residence, authorities seized various electronic devices, including a laptop and two memory sticks. An extensive investigation uncovered a total of 292 indecent photographs stored on these devices. Of these, 229 images were classified as Level One, the lowest category of severity, but the remaining images included 27 at Level Four, the most serious classification. These particularly disturbing images depicted boys under the age of 10 engaged in sexual activities, with one of the photographs of the fishing trip victim found in a folder on one of the memory sticks.

It was also revealed that Batty had a prior conviction dating back to November 2000, when he received a 12-month suspended sentence for showing an indecent photograph to a boy and creating 24 other indecent images. His past criminal record underscored a pattern of concerning behavior.

Defense lawyer Mr. Frank Nance argued that all the images found were for Batty’s personal gratification and that there was only one request for the boy to pose naked. He also noted that Batty had been keeping a diary of his daily activities since his plea, which he claimed was intended to demonstrate his efforts to monitor his behavior and whereabouts.

In addition to the prison sentence, Batty was prohibited from working with children and was subjected to an indefinite sexual offences prevention order. This order explicitly bans him from having any unsupervised contact with minors, reflecting the court’s concern for public safety.

Judge Bryn Holloway delivered the sentence, emphasizing the gravity of the offences and the ongoing demand for such material. He stated, “Without people of means who are prepared to pay to access this material, that market and those victims would not exist.” The judge also referenced Batty’s previous convictions, warning that his continued possession of high-level indecent images indicated an unrepentant pattern of behavior. He concluded that Batty’s continued engagement with such material would inevitably lead to custodial sentences, underscoring the seriousness of his crimes and the need for strict punishment.