LOWESTOFT PAEDOPHILE DAVID CATTEMOLE SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN LOWESTOFT AND IPSWICH

In a serious case that highlights ongoing concerns about child exploitation, David Cattermole, a resident of Lowestoft, has been convicted and sentenced for possessing a significant number of indecent images of children. The 43-year-old man, who resides on London Road South in Lowestoft, was sentenced to 24 months in prison after authorities uncovered more than 200 illicit images stored on his electronic devices.

The case came to light when police executed a search warrant at Cattermole’s residence in February 2017. During the search, officers seized multiple computer devices, which upon examination revealed a disturbing collection of nearly 200 indecent images of children. Some of these images depicted very young girls as young as five years old, underscoring the severity of the material found.

At Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday, May 2, Cattermole admitted to two counts of making indecent images of children. In addition to the prison sentence, he was subjected to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, a measure designed to restrict his access to potentially harmful material and prevent further offending.

This conviction marks Cattermole’s third known conviction related to child exploitation. His criminal history dates back to 2001, when he was given a three-year community order after downloading indecent images of children. His offenses have escalated over the years, with a notable conviction in 2013 when he was jailed for ten months after downloading over 1,000 indecent images, including some depicting the most serious forms of abuse such as rape and torture.

In 2013, Cattermole was released from prison and returned to Lowestoft, where he continued to offend. His criminal record reveals a pattern of offending spanning over a decade, with his previous offenses involving a wide range of indecent images, from those of very young children to teenagers. The images found on his devices ranged from level one (least serious) to level five (most serious), with the latter including images of children being raped or tortured.

During his arrest, Cattermole admitted to officers that he was attracted to girls aged 12 to 14 and that he had come into possession of images of younger girls while searching for material involving older children. His actions have caused significant concern among law enforcement and child protection agencies, given the repeated nature of his offenses and the disturbing content involved.

In addition to his prison sentence, Cattermole was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and was placed under a sexual offences prevention order for the same duration. His case underscores the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in monitoring and preventing individuals with a history of such offenses from reoffending, especially in communities like Lowestoft where he resides.