ANTHONY DONOGHUE FROM CRAWLEY AND WEST MALLING JAILED FOR BESTIALITY AND CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local communities of Crawley and West Malling, physiotherapist Anthony Donoghue has been sentenced to prison after a series of heinous discoveries related to his possession and distribution of illegal and highly disturbing material. The court proceedings revealed that Donoghue, aged 54, was found to have kept explicit images and videos depicting himself and a woman engaging in sexual acts with animals, including a Labrador retriever and horses. These materials, which date back several years, were not considered illegal at the time they were created, as the law had not yet criminalized such acts in 2004.

These shocking items came to light following a police raid on Donoghue’s residence at Sturmer Court in Kings Hill. During the search, authorities uncovered more than 1,400 images of child abuse, alongside the bestiality footage. The severity of the case was underscored by the judge, Charles Macdonald QC, who described the animal abuse material as “really quite remarkably nasty.” He further emphasized that although the videos and photographs were not criminal at the time of their creation, their content was extraordinarily degrading and kept without any justifiable reason.

Anthony Donoghue, who now resides in Crawley, West Sussex, faced multiple charges, including six counts of possessing indecent images of children, two counts of making such images, one count of distributing them, and one count of possessing extreme pornography. The court heard that in March of the previous year, under the alias Peter Adams, Donoghue was communicating with a man on a gay website. During this online interaction, he arranged to meet the man and “some other pervy mates,” as described by the prosecution.

Prosecutor Bridget Todd explained that Donoghue had sent the man explicit pictures, including images of adults engaged in sexual acts or “extreme activity.” Additionally, he sent a disturbing image of a young child, aged five or six, claiming to know the child personally. When Donoghue expressed discomfort about the images he received, he contacted the police, leading to his arrest on March 23 of the previous year.

Following his arrest, police seized multiple electronic devices, including computers, a camcorder, and videotapes. Among the seized materials were 66 images classified as extreme pornography. During the court hearing, Donoghue admitted to the charges, acknowledging his possession and creation of indecent images.

His defense lawyer, Jan Hayne, stated that Donoghue had been honest about his offending and was seeking treatment. She argued that his actions did not stem from high-risk sexual behavior and emphasized that he was essentially a good man who had lost everything. Hayne also noted that the majority of the images had been deleted, leaving only 64 “live” pictures on his devices.

However, Judge Macdonald was clear in his judgment, condemning the nature of the material and Donoghue’s actions. The judge recounted that Donoghue had engaged in sex acts with horses in a field at night, which he described as a precursor to his sexual activity with his female partner. The judge stated, “You have lost your job,” and made it clear that he would not suspend the prison sentence. Donoghue was sentenced to eight months in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender for the next ten years, reflecting the seriousness of his crimes and the impact on the community.