ANTHONY PIKE FROM CHIPPENHAM CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AT MO'D BASE IN SWINDON

In July 2018, a disturbing case emerged involving Anthony Pike, a worker associated with a Ministry of Defence (MoD) facility, who was found to possess highly disturbing images of child abuse. The incident unfolded when Pike, who was employed at the former RAF base in Lyneham, loaned his Dell laptop to a colleague. The colleague, concerned about the nature of some of the file names on the device, chose to report their suspicions to the police rather than attempting to view the content themselves.

Upon investigation, law enforcement officials examined the laptop and uncovered a troubling collection of images and videos. Specifically, they found 43 images related to child abuse, of which only five remained accessible at the time of the search. Among these accessible files, four were classified as the most serious category of child exploitation videos. Further searches at Pike’s residence revealed a MacBook laptop containing an additional 53 images, with only one being viewable. The authorities also discovered that Pike had used search engines to look up terms such as 'nine-year-old child xxx pic' and 'very young illegal pictures,' indicating a disturbing pattern of interest.

During police questioning, Pike initially claimed that he had only recently acquired one computer and that the other was second-hand. However, he later admitted to having a pornography addiction, which he said he was attempting to address. He acknowledged that he had viewed material he knew was inappropriate and that he had taken steps to seek help for his issues.

Anthony Pike, aged 53 and residing on Malmesbury Road in Chippenham, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children. The case was heard at Swindon Crown Court, where Judge Robert Pawson delivered the sentence. The judge remarked that Pike might not fully realize the gravity of his actions but emphasized that he had come dangerously close to imprisonment. The judge highlighted that the only reason Pike was not sent to prison immediately was the possibility of rehabilitation, which he considered a realistic hope. The primary concern, according to the court, was the protection of female children from harm.

As part of his sentence, Pike received a 16-month jail term, suspended for two years, coupled with supervision and requirements for rehabilitation activities. Additionally, he was ordered to pay £500 in costs. He is also mandated to register as a sex offender for ten years and must adhere to an eight-year sexual harm prevention order, aimed at safeguarding the community from potential future offenses.