CHRISTOPHER STANDING FROM LYNEMOUTH SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES IN NORTHUMBRIA

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community of Lynemouth, Northumbria Police have successfully brought to justice a man involved in the possession and distribution of illegal and highly disturbing images of child abuse. Christopher Standing, a 66-year-old resident of Eden Terrace in Lynemouth, was arrested following a series of investigations into his online activities and physical concealment of illicit material in his home.

Officers from Northumbria Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team executed a search warrant at Standing’s residence after receiving intelligence that he had been sharing graphic images of child sexual abuse with an undercover officer. During the police visit, Standing initially denied any wrongdoing but then handed over his mobile phone to the officers, requesting permission to use the bathroom. As he was led to the bathroom, officers observed him dropping to his knees and rummaging through a discreetly built compartment within the bath panel, where he was caught removing another electronic device.

Subsequent searches of his devices revealed a horrifying collection of images, including numerous Category A images, which are classified as the most severe and disturbing. The police seized multiple devices, and forensic analysis uncovered hundreds of indecent images of children, along with videos and other illicit material. The evidence was overwhelming and led to charges against Standing for his involvement in the possession and distribution of child abuse images.

On January 7, 2021, Standing appeared before Newcastle Crown Court to face justice. He pleaded guilty to five counts of making indecent images of children, one count of distributing such images, and a breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The court sentenced him to four years and eight months in prison, reflecting the gravity of his offenses and the need for public protection.

His criminal history also includes a previous arrest in June 2013, when police raided his home in Cliffe Close, Runswick, after discovering he had a vast collection of over 70,000 child abuse images stored on his computer. During that investigation, it was revealed that Standing, then aged 58, had been allowing other paedophiles to access his collection via a file-sharing network under the username ‘babylover’. Prosecutors detailed that the images included over 7,000 in the most serious categories, along with 1,548 videos. The police also found ‘The Paedophile Handbook’ downloaded from the internet, as well as thousands of extreme pornographic images involving animals.

Standing, who has previously worked as a carer with children and is now residing in Morpeth, Northumberland, admitted to multiple charges, including possession and distribution of indecent images. He was found to possess a total of 77,038 indecent photographs of children, along with additional prohibited images and extreme pornography. As a result, he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and prohibited from working with children. Judge Michael Heath described the images as “shocking” and emphasized the devastating impact such material has on victims, stating, “The effects of a physical and psychological nature on these children who undergo abuse to produce this material for the sexual gratification of perverts like you is simply incalculable. How you can get satisfaction from this material I don’t know.”

During proceedings, Standing’s defense lawyer, Giles Bedloe, highlighted that his client had been experiencing health issues, including a recent heart attack, which delayed sentencing. Mr. Bedloe also mentioned that Standing had been deeply affected by the recent death of his father and that he had been seeking help for his problematic behavior, which he recognized as wrong and wanted to stop. Despite these mitigating factors, the court maintained that the severity of the crimes warranted a lengthy prison sentence to protect society and deter similar offenses.