BRIAN LEWIS OF COLCHESTER JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES INVOLVING PHILIPPINE CHILDREN
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Colchester, Brian Lewis, a 70-year-old resident of Forest Road, was sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of heinous crimes involving the exploitation of children in the Philippines.The offences came to light following an investigation into Lewis's online activities, which revealed that he had paid to watch videos depicting young children being subjected to sexual acts.
Lewis's criminal conduct was carried out through a chatroom where he made explicit demands for the children to perform sexual acts.
These requests included highly disturbing acts such as encouraging children to expose themselves and even asking a woman to perform a sex act on a child she claimed was her son.
The footage he paid to view involved children as young as four, and the nature of his requests was described as some of the most sickening seen in recent cases of online child exploitation.
He appeared before Ipswich Crown Court in November 2016, where he admitted to eight counts of arranging or facilitating the commission of a sexual offence against children, as well as possessing child pornography.
The court heard that Lewis's actions were driven by a desire for commercial gratification, with Judge John Devaux describing his conduct as a form of exploitation where money was exchanged for the abuse of vulnerable children.
The judge pointed out that Lewis's actions appeared to involve the exploitation of impoverished families in the Philippines, taking advantage of their difficult circumstances.
During the sentencing, Lewis's legal representative, Richard Wood, highlighted his client's previously good character and suggested that loneliness may have contributed to his descent into such depraved behaviour.
Wood explained that Lewis had not been in a relationship since 1991 and had experienced strained relationships with his family, which he claimed had taken a toll on him.
Ironically, Lewis's family had encouraged him to buy a computer so he could stay in touch with them via Facebook, but this device ultimately became a tool for his criminal activities.
In addition to his four-year prison sentence, Lewis was ordered to pay £1,500 in court costs.
He was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and subjected to a sexual harm prevention order.
The laptop used to store evidence of his crimes, which was seized in May, is scheduled to be destroyed to prevent further misuse.
Meanwhile, a separate incident involving Lewis was scheduled for sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court.
However, due to industrial action by prison staff, the hearing was adjourned.
The court was unable to proceed because of the unavailability of prison transport and reception facilities for new inmates.
Judge David Goodin explained that the case would be postponed until the following week, expressing regret to Lewis for the delay.
The judge emphasized the seriousness of the offences Lewis had admitted, which included two counts of making indecent images of children in May 2015, and eight counts of facilitating child sex offences between March 3 and March 19 of the previous year.
The images found on Lewis's laptop included 48 at the most severe level A, 19 at level B, and 92 at the lowest level C, underscoring the gravity of his crimes.
