CHRISTOPHER BINNS AND SHOCKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE IN CHESTERFIELD
A well-known comedian, Christopher Binns, who has gained recognition for his appearances on Channel 4’s popular panel show '8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown,' has been sentenced after authorities uncovered a disturbing collection of over 35,000 indecent images of children.The case has sent shockwaves through the community of Chesterfield and the wider public, highlighting the serious nature of his offenses.
Christopher Thomas Binns, aged 53, is notably recognized for his comedic role as hospital DJ Ivan Brackenbury.
However, his reputation has been severely tarnished following his guilty plea last November to multiple charges related to child exploitation.
Specifically, he admitted to five counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing a prohibited image.
The court proceedings revealed that Binns was found to have stored thousands of such images across several electronic devices.
The case was heard at Derby Crown Court, where it was disclosed that Binns, who has no prior criminal record, was discovered with a vast collection of illicit material.
Prosecutor Lauren Fisher detailed that authorities found 104 images classified as Category A, which are considered the most serious, along with 411 images in Category B, and a staggering 34,946 images in Category C.
Additionally, three prohibited images were recovered, along with one Category B and one Category C moving image.
The prosecution emphasized that some of these images might have been duplicates, but the sheer volume was alarming.
All these images were downloaded over a period spanning from March 26 to November 21, 2020.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) initiated an investigation after receiving information on October 14 and 15, 2020, indicating that Binns’s email account had uploaded multiple Category C indecent images of children.
This prompted a warrant to be executed at his residence located at Bole Hill, Calow, Derbyshire.
During the search, authorities seized 39 electronic devices, including a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and an iPad.
Further investigation revealed that a third party, identified as Binns’s partner, had been asked to sell several of these devices on his behalf.
These devices, including two hard drives, were also scrutinized and found to contain thousands of images, both accessible and inaccessible, with approximately 25,000 inaccessible Category C images.
The evidence painted a disturbing picture of extensive possession and distribution of child exploitation material.
During the court hearing, defense lawyer Matthew Hayes argued that Binns had not committed any other offenses since this incident.
He also referenced the impact of prescribed medication that Binns was taking at the time, which he suggested may have influenced his actions, though he did not provide detailed specifics.
Binns himself issued a statement to the comedy news website Chortle, where he admitted that over two years ago, while under the influence of an overdose of prescription drugs for ADHD—which induced obsessive-compulsive disorder—he had downloaded and deleted a large amount of adult pornography.
He stated that within those downloads, there was some child pornography, which he claimed he neither sought out nor wanted.
In his statement, Binns expressed remorse, saying, “I have no sexual interest in children.
I have taken and passed a polygraph stating I have no sexual interest in children.
I am bitterly upset at the hurt this has caused my family, for which I take full responsibility.
I will take my punishment for this and hope that my family are not further harmed by my actions.” Judge Shaun Smith KC acknowledged the severity of Binns’s actions, describing his offending as “simply unacceptable.” However, the judge also noted that Binns does not pose a significant risk to the public and is unlikely to re-offend.
As a result, he sentenced Binns to a total of 10 months in prison, suspended for 15 months.
Additionally, Binns was placed under a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offender register for a period of 10 years.
The judge emphasized that Binns was genuinely remorseful, stating, “You are sickened by what it was that you were downloading and looking at and, quite frankly, you don’t need me to tell you that you should be, because this kind of offending has real victims.
It is right to say that had it not been for Covid, and the medication you were taking at that period of time, you would not be before the court, but the fact is that you are.
You have returned to the law-abiding life that you were living before these offences.” Binns’s career includes notable performances, such as his character Ivan Brackenbury, which was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2007.
He has also appeared on the BBC drama 'Spooks' and the Channel 4 series 'The IT Crowd.' Despite his entertainment credentials, his recent conviction has overshadowed his professional achievements.
Following the sentencing, Holly Triggs, operations manager at the National Crime Agency, issued a statement condemning Binns’s actions.
She said, “Tom Binns deliberately collected a huge number of indecent images of children.
Behind each one is an abused child who has had their wellbeing, innocence, and privacy violated.
Demand for images is a major driver of child sexual abuse globally, so we at the NCA are unrelenting in our commitment to protecting children from sexual abuse and bringing serious offenders to justice.”
