JUDGE DISMISSES EXCUSE OF CONNOR COXON, PAEDOPHILE FROM MIDDLESBROUGH, OVER 5000 REPUGNANT IMAGES
In June 2021, a judge dismissed the explanation given by Connor Coxon, a Middlesbrough man, who was found with a disturbing collection of over 5,000 indecent images of children.The images included shocking footage of babies being sexually abused and drugged children being raped.
Coxon, aged 29 at the time, claimed he was "thrill seeking" and insisted he did not have a sexual interest in the images.
Teesside Crown Court heard that police acted on intelligence and conducted a search of his home in July 2019.
Prosecutor Jonathan Gittins reported that officers seized multiple devices, including a laptop, USB sticks, and a mobile phone, revealing a total of 5,305 indecent images of children across three devices.
The images were classified into categories: 842 still and 79 moving Category A images, which are the most serious; 2,650 still and 13 moving Category B images; and 1,719 still plus two moving Category C images.
During police interviews, Coxon admitted to possessing the images and explained that he found them more exciting than sexual, leading to an addiction.
He stated he would search for such material once or twice weekly and had access to usernames and passwords for multiple devices.
The severity of the images was highlighted, particularly due to the young age and apparent intoxication or drugged state of the children depicted.
It was also noted that Coxon had previously received a caution in 2006, when he was approximately 14 or 15, related to an indecent image of a child.
Coxon pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.
Judge Jonathan Carroll described the material as "repugnant" and emphasized that each child in the images was a real victim suffering abuse.
He remarked, "This is amongst some of the worst, particularly bearing in mind the age of the children under category A measure in months, not even years." The judge questioned Coxon’s claimed lack of sexual interest, saying, "If he is not seeking out this material involving very young children for sexual gratification, I cannot conceive what pleasure or excitement he gains from it." Reiterating the earlier caution Coxon received in 2006, Judge Carroll highlighted the public’s demand for prison sentences for such offenders but acknowledged the limitations of custodial rehabilitation efforts.
Due to the gravity of Coxon’s crimes, the judge decided that a prison sentence could not be suspended.
Coxon was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to comply with a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.
Additionally, he was required to register as a sex offender for ten years.
