BARRY TIBBLES FROM PURLEY AND SOUTHCOTE CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN HORRIFIC CRIME CASE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local communities of Purley and Southcote, Barry Tibbles, aged 53, has been found guilty of possessing and downloading a significant number of child abuse images. The incident came to light after police uncovered evidence on his external hard drive, revealing a disturbing collection of illicit material.

According to court records, the police executed a search warrant at Tibbles' residence in Lea Close, Southcote, in June 2011. At the time, Tibbles was living with his sister and her two adult children. During the search, officers were shown his bedroom, where they seized various electronic devices, including a memory card and an external hard drive. The examination of these devices uncovered a troubling cache of images and videos.

Prosecutor Deirdre Philpott detailed the findings, stating that the hard drive contained a total of 271 still images and 16 videos depicting child abuse. Among these, one photograph was classified at level five, indicating the most severe form of illegal imagery, while 35 photographs and four videos were rated at level four, also representing highly severe content. The remaining images fell into levels one to three, indicating varying degrees of severity.

Ms. Philpott explained that all of these images had been deleted at some point after their creation, with most having been produced well before the police seizure. The process of examining the devices was lengthy, and it was not until April of the following year that police contacted Tibbles to attend Reading police station for an interview. During a phone call prior to the interview, Tibbles admitted, “I know I have done wrong. I don’t do it anymore. I thought after this long it had been overlooked.”

However, when formally questioned, Tibbles declined to comment further and claimed he could not recall his previous statements. His defense lawyer, Sarah Holland, stated that Tibbles had initially downloaded these images in 2006 but had subsequently deleted them in 2008 after realizing the severity of his actions. Holland added that Tibbles had been going through a difficult period following a separation from his partner and described his behavior as “inquisitive,” noting that he had previously viewed conventional pornography.

Judge Bruce McIntyre delivered the sentence, emphasizing the gravity of the offense. He remarked, “Barry Tibbles, I am sure you are aware that the reason this kind of offending is serious is because by having downloaded this material you have, albeit indirectly, been guilty of abusing the children who are displayed in these images. Without people like you there would be no market for these images or for anyone to subject children to the abuse shown in them. There would be no reason for them to do it.”

As a result, Tibbles was sentenced to a 36-month community and supervision order. Additionally, he was ordered to participate in the Thames Valley Sex Offenders’ Groupwork Programme and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years. Tibbles, who now resides on Wintringham Way in Purley, faces ongoing monitoring and restrictions as part of his sentence, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes and the ongoing efforts to prevent such offenses in the future.