CHRISTOPHER CORKE FROM BARNSLEY SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC CHILD AND ANIMAL ABUSE IMAGES AND VIDEOS

In March 2011, a disturbing case emerged involving Christopher Corke, a man from Barnsley, who was found to have downloaded and possessed an array of extremely disturbing and illegal images and videos. Corke, aged 66, was identified as a serial offender with a long history of similar crimes, having previously admitted to offences in 2005 and 2008.

His latest offences came to light when public protection officers, who were monitoring him due to his prior convictions, discovered that he had once again accessed and downloaded a significant number of illicit materials from his home located in The Croft, Hoylandswaine, Barnsley. The officers found that Corke had amassed a total of 1,332 indecent images and 15 videos, including a particularly heinous film depicting a woman engaging in sexual acts with a dog. The content was described in court as “utterly grotesque,” highlighting the severity and depravity of the material.

During the hearing at Sheffield Crown Court, Judge Peter Kelson QC sentenced Corke to 12 months in prison. The judge expressed his disappointment, noting that Corke had been given multiple opportunities to address his compulsions but had failed to do so. He emphasized that Corke’s addiction to such material had rendered him unable to control his impulses, leading to his current incarceration. The judge also pointed out that some of the images involved children as young as four years old, underscoring the heinous nature of the crimes.

Judge Kelson stated, “You have lost your family, they have severed all links with you, and I fear the time has come when a prison sentence is the only appropriate course.” This comment reflected the gravity of Corke’s actions and the impact on his personal relationships.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Martin recounted Corke’s criminal history, revealing that in 2005, he admitted to 43 offences at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court and was subsequently sentenced to a three-year community rehabilitation order. Later, in September 2008, he admitted to an additional 16 similar offences and was again given a three-year community supervision order, which was due to expire in September of the same year.

Ms. Martin explained that due to these previous convictions, the public protection unit’s sex offender management service maintained regular contact with Corke. During routine checks, officers visited his home and discovered that he was again accessing the internet to view and download illegal content. The officers found on his two computers a disturbing collection of images and videos, rated from grade one (least serious) to grade five (most serious). The material included 1,303 images of varying severity, 12 grade two images, 15 grade three images, and two images rated as the most extreme, involving bestiality. Additionally, there were 10 grade one videos, two grade two videos, and one grade three video.

Corke admitted that he downloaded these images for his own gratification and acknowledged that he could not be trusted to have internet access unsupervised. He confessed to possessing an indecent image of a child, creating indecent images of children, and possessing an extreme pornographic image. His actions have caused significant concern given the nature of the content and his repeated offending, leading to his current imprisonment and highlighting the ongoing threat posed by individuals with such criminal histories.