DAVID ARSCOTT FROM OKEHAMPTON JAILED OVER CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND GRAPHIC CARTOON VIDEOS

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Okehampton, retired civil servant David Arscott has been sentenced to prison for his involvement with highly disturbing online material depicting child abuse. The incident came to light after police investigations uncovered his disturbing online activities, which included the download and viewing of graphic cartoon images and interactive videos that portrayed the sexual exploitation of minors.

According to court reports, Arscott, aged 59 and residing at Upper Crooked Meadow in Okehampton, engaged with an online interactive game that featured explicit cartoon representations of adolescent girls being subjected to abuse by adults. The game was described as highly realistic, with scenes that depicted the progression from innocent petting to full sexual intercourse, all within a cartoon context. The court was told that these images and videos were not only disturbing but also indicative of a troubling interest in child sexuality, with the defendant grooming young girls for sexual purposes within the virtual environment.

During the police search of his residence, authorities seized his computer and discovered an alarming collection of approximately 19,000 images depicting girls in various sexual poses. These images included both prohibited content and extreme adult pornography, which Arscott admitted to possessing. He faced multiple charges, including three counts of creating child pornography, one count of possessing such material, along with three counts of possessing prohibited images and three counts of possessing extreme adult pornography.

The court proceedings revealed that Arscott’s online activities extended beyond mere possession. The police investigation was initiated after the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Service traced his online activity to a paedophile website called Anything Goes. It was during this investigation that authorities discovered his engagement with two Japanese interactive cartoons, which featured a storyline involving the abuse of young girls aged 13 or 14. These cartoons were described as a new form of prohibited material under the 2009 Coroners and Criminal Justice Act, which criminalizes certain types of animated content that depict minors in sexual situations.

In his defense, Arscott claimed that he believed he was acting within the law and was unaware that cartoon images could be illegal. However, the prosecution argued that his actions demonstrated a clear and disturbing interest in child exploitation, with the material found on his computer indicating a fixation on the sexualization of minors. The judge, Judge Phillip Wassall, sentenced Arscott to eight months in prison, emphasizing the severity of his offenses. He stated, “The two cartoons did not involve real children but did depict sexual activity between adults and children, progressing from petting through foreplay to full intercourse. The possession of all this material indicates a clear interest in child sexuality. You see children as sex objects.”

Furthermore, Arscott was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for ten years and was subject to a five-year Prevention Order that prohibits him from having any contact with children. The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat online child exploitation and the importance of closing legal loopholes that allow such material to be circulated and possessed. The community of Okehampton and beyond is left to grapple with the disturbing implications of this case, which underscores the need for vigilance and strict enforcement of laws designed to protect minors from exploitation and abuse.