CONNER HARCOURT FROM FAREHAM CAUGHT WITH NEARLY 600 CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN SHOCKING CASE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Fareham, Conner Harcourt, aged 29, found himself back in court after authorities uncovered a significant collection of illicit images depicting child abuse. The investigation, carried out by police, revealed that Harcourt possessed nearly 600 indecent images of children, including some of the most heinous and graphic material.

Harcourt, a resident of Valentine Close in Fareham, was apprehended on October 28, 2020, when police responded to reports of his re-offending. During the arrest, officers seized a mobile phone and a laptop from his residence. Subsequent searches of these devices uncovered a disturbing cache of images: 223 classified as Category A, 225 as Category B, and 132 as Category C. Among the most disturbing content was an image depicting a baby less than a year old being raped, highlighting the severity of the material Harcourt was involved with.

Further compounding the case, Harcourt was found to have violated previous court orders. In April and May of the same year, he failed to comply with notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order. Notably, he did not disclose the existence of a Twitter account he had created in March, from which he sent several tweets before ceasing activity in April. On this social media platform, Harcourt made disturbing posts, urging users to send him 'pervy' and 'illegal' items, raising concerns about his ongoing predatory behavior.

Prosecutor Alex Kettle-Williams detailed that Harcourt fully admitted to owning the Twitter account and acknowledged his failure to declare the account's username to authorities. When questioned about his reasons for not informing police, Harcourt simply responded, 'I just didn’t.' When asked directly if he had a sexual interest in children, he confirmed, 'Yes.'

The court also reviewed Harcourt’s criminal history, which includes a conviction for sexual activity with a boy under 16, for which he received a three-year prison sentence nearly a decade ago. His record shows multiple breaches of court orders, including two incidents that led to a 12-week jail sentence suspended for two years in July 2021. These breaches contributed to his current legal predicament, as they demonstrated a pattern of non-compliance and continued offending.

Judge William Ashworth addressed Harcourt directly, stating, ‘You have order after order and keep doing this…you can’t restrain yourself.’ The judge expressed concern over Harcourt’s inability to control his impulses and emphasized the seriousness of his repeated violations. However, the sentencing was adjourned until October 7 to allow for further assessment of how Harcourt’s conditions and behavior might influence his actions moving forward.

Harcourt was remanded in custody and pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order and three charges related to making indecent images of children. The case continues to draw attention to the ongoing issues of child exploitation and the importance of vigilant law enforcement in protecting vulnerable victims from predatory individuals like Harcourt.