DALE COTTON FROM CHIPPEHAM AND CRYMYCH JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES OFFENSES

In a case that has shocked the communities of Chippenham and Crymych, Dale Cotton, a former minister associated with the Chippenham Methodist Circuit, has been sentenced to prison after police uncovered a disturbing collection of over 600 child abuse images on his personal laptops. The revelation came during a court hearing at North West Wiltshire Magistrates Court, where Cotton, aged 51, faced serious charges related to the possession and creation of indecent images of children.

On September 26, Cotton appeared before the magistrates, admitting to an addiction to pornography that had persisted for a decade. He pleaded guilty to five counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing such images. The court was informed that the images were stored on two laptops, which police seized from his residence in Chippenham at the end of October 2012. The magistrates heard that the images ranged in explicitness, with 90 of them being easily accessible and the majority, totaling 522, classified as the lowest level of explicit content.

Prosecutor Kate Prince detailed how Cotton used his devices to access websites associated with child exploitation, with site addresses referencing galleries such as 'jailbait galleries,' 'young paradise,' and 'nude virgins.' The police investigation revealed that the images were stored between November 2011 and October 2012. The two laptops involved in the case are now scheduled for destruction by law enforcement authorities.

During the proceedings, Cotton’s defense solicitor, Andrew Eddy, emphasized that his client had an unblemished record prior to this incident and had voluntarily sought help for his addiction. Eddy argued that Cotton’s admission and cooperation with police demonstrated a genuine desire to change and acknowledged the severity of his actions. A pre-sentence report had recommended a community order, suggesting that rehabilitation efforts could be more beneficial than imprisonment.

However, the presiding magistrate, Ninna Gibson, was unequivocal in her judgment. She stated, “We are mindful of the position of trust that you had in the community,” and concluded that the gravity of the offenses warranted a custodial sentence. Cotton was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next seven years.

Superintendent Minister of the Chippenham Methodist Circuit, Reverend David Alderman, observed the court proceedings from the back, reflecting on the impact of the case. A parishioner present at the court expressed shock upon learning of Cotton’s suspension from his ministerial duties and the allegations against him, remarking, “They told us he’d been suspended but I didn’t know anything about this until I read the paper.”

In a related development in September 2013, Cotton publicly admitted to viewing child abuse images online, attributing his behavior to a long-standing pornography addiction. The police investigation was initiated after Reverend Jones, a fellow minister, reported Cotton’s online activities. The police seized two computers from Cotton’s home in Chippenham, revealing a total of 611 images, with 90 being readily viewable. The investigation uncovered that Cotton had visited websites with titles such as 'school angels,' 'nude virgins,' and 'teeny lovers.'

Defense attorney Mark Glendenning acknowledged Cotton’s addiction, stating that curiosity had led him into chat rooms and that most of the images were inaccessible and not distributed elsewhere. Magistrates have scheduled Cotton’s sentencing for October 31 in Chippenham, with bail conditions in place that restrict his contact with minors under 16, prohibit internet use without supervision, and bar entry to his residence in Monkton Hill, Chippenham. The case continues to serve as a stark reminder of the serious consequences of such offenses and the importance of safeguarding vulnerable children in society.