DAVID CADMAN IN WALTON TO BE RELEASED DESPITE CHILD SEX OFFENSES
A convicted paedophile, David Cadman, who previously filmed a girl undressing at a beach and possessed a disturbing collection of child abuse images, is set to be released from custody in approximately two weeks.Cadman was arrested last August after he recorded a nine-year-old girl while she was with her parents at New Brighton beach.
In November, he was sentenced to 16 months for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) related to the beach video.
Today, he appeared in court again to face sentencing for possessing a collection of indecent images, including 20 of children being raped.
Cadman, of Espin Street, Walton, pleaded guilty last month to three counts of downloading and one count of possession of indecent images of children.
Although these charges were not active at his previous sentencing, Judge Anil Murray explained they had been considered earlier.
Judge Murray stated: "The offences that are before the court today were known about at the time of my sentence and were part of the factual matrix of that sentence, because I had to assess culpability for the breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and part of that breach was having those indecent images." Prosecutor Zillah Williams added: "Indeed it was, and your honour expressly commented that you had taken into account the existence of those images." Police found Cadman's collection during a raid on his home, along with the video he made of the girl on the beach.
The court was told he possessed 20 Category A images — the most serious category depicting child rape — alongside 14 Category B and 121 Category C files.
Judge Murray revealed that Cadman had informed his solicitor, Louise McCloskey, that he would be released on April 14, in about two weeks.
The judge explained that because these images had already influenced his previous sentence, it would be inappropriate to impose a longer prison term or a suspended sentence that could lead to further risk.
Given the circumstances, Judge Murray decided against a conditional discharge and instead sentenced Cadman to a brief 28-day prison term, meaning he will serve half of that and be released shortly.
The judge remarked: "This doesn't fully align with typical guidelines, but this case is unusual because I have already taken these images into account." Cadman was also ordered to register as a sex offender for a further seven years.
His original indefinite SHPO was first imposed following his 14-month sentence in November 2015 for possessing indecent images.
His criminal record also includes convictions for indecent assault in 1977 and exposure in 1990.
During last year's raid, officers seized a black Sony mobile phone, which Cadman claimed had its internet history wiped due to an update.
The court noted the video shot on the beach clearly showed the girl’s parents, who appeared unaware she was being filmed and were trying to cover her with a towel.
Cadman admitted to police that he did not know the girl and acknowledged that filming her was wrong, saying: "I didn't know her, she was just on the beach with her family.
I know it's wrong, I don't know why I did it." Multiple devices were recovered, including another mobile phone, a digital camera, a Samsung Galaxy tablet, and four USB sticks from which indecent images were also retrieved.
Authorities also found a small amount of cannabis in the search.
When questioned last year, Cadman’s solicitor explained that he felt isolated and lonely, which he said was a motivation for his actions.
She added: "He didn't go out to commit offences; he took the photographs and realised what he did was wrong.
When police arrived, there wasn't an explicit denial of sexual motivation, but there wasn't a full admission either."
