DARREN HAWKINS FROM BANBURY SENTENCED FOR REPEATED CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES IN OXFORD

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Banbury, Darren Hawkins, a man with a troubling history of child exploitation, was recently sentenced to prison for possessing and distributing indecent images of children. The case highlights a pattern of criminal behavior that persisted even after Hawkins had served time in prison.

Hawkins, aged 42, was first convicted in 2008 for a series of 26 offenses related to viewing and sharing indecent images of minors. He was subsequently sentenced to 21 months in jail. Despite this, his criminal activities did not cease. Less than a year after his release in January 2009, authorities uncovered a new wave of illegal activity at his residence on Broome Way, Banbury.

In December 2010, police executed a search warrant at Hawkins’s home. During the raid, they discovered three laptops containing a total of 380 illegal images, which had been downloaded between September 2009 and December 2010. The images were classified as highly disturbing, with some rated at the most severe levels of depravity. Hawkins was charged with multiple counts of making indecent images of children, to which he later admitted guilt.

At Oxford Crown Court, the prosecution, led by Sandra Beck, detailed the severity of the images. It was revealed that 64 of the images were rated at level four, and two were classified as level five, indicating the most explicit and heinous material. The court heard that Hawkins’s actions were driven by an addiction, which he described as an uncontrollable compulsion that worsened after consuming alcohol. His defense attorney, Claire Fraser, argued that Hawkins’s problem was rooted in dependency, and that his support network had disbanded after his release from prison, leaving him vulnerable.

Judge Patrick Eccles, presiding over the case, condemned Hawkins’s conduct, describing some of the images as “disgraceful and perverted.” He sentenced Hawkins to an additional 20 months in prison, emphasizing the gravity of his offenses and the need for societal protection.

Prior to these events, Hawkins’s criminal record was already extensive. In 2008, he was found to possess over 7,000 indecent images of children stored across various devices, including a home PC, a laptop, seven CDs, and floppy disks. These images depicted children from as young as one month old up to 15 years of age, with more than 400 images classified as the most explicit category. The police investigation was triggered when one of Hawkins’s online contacts was traced through email correspondence, revealing his disturbing fantasies and intentions.

The court also learned that Hawkins had attempted to take his own life on two separate occasions following the police raid. His family had distanced themselves from him after discovering his secret life. During the proceedings, Hawkins admitted to multiple charges, including possession, distribution, and incitement related to child exploitation images. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years.

Hawkins’s background included a long-standing role as a contributor to Radio Horton at Banbury’s Horton Hospital for 16 years. Prior to his arrest, he was employed by Lloyds TSB but lost his job in November due to the charges against him. His defense attorney, Tony McGeorge, described Hawkins as a lonely and socially isolated individual, asserting that his interest in the images was driven by a desire for social interaction rather than any intent to harm children directly. McGeorge emphasized that Hawkins posed no immediate risk to children.

Judge Corrie, who presided over the case, expressed his revulsion at the material found and acknowledged Hawkins’s claims of non-violent intent. However, he underscored the disturbing nature of the images, many of which depicted children in bondage and distressed states. The judge highlighted the importance of protecting vulnerable children and emphasized that Hawkins’s actions exploited their suffering, despite his claims of fantasy and social isolation.