DAVID CLARK FROM MAIDSTONE CAUGHT SEARCHING CHILD PORN SITES TO REGAIN PRISON SENTENCE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Maidstone, David Clark, a 54-year-old man with a troubling criminal history, was found to have deliberately searched for child pornography online with the intent of being sent back to prison. Clark, who has previously served a total of four and a half years for two serious sex offenses committed in 1997 and 2004, expressed his frustration over his ongoing difficulties in securing a permanent council home.

According to reports, Clark had been residing in temporary accommodation in Maidstone for the past two years at the time of the incident, which occurred in August 2009. Living in Willington Green, Maidstone, Clark claimed that despite submitting numerous applications for council housing, he was continually met with rejection. His inability to find stable housing appeared to have caused him significant distress, leading him to take drastic measures.

Clark admitted that he intentionally searched the internet for images depicting naked pre-pubescent and pubescent girls in sexual poses. He openly stated that he was aware police would eventually check his laptop, and he deliberately sought to get caught so he could be sent back to prison. His actions were driven by a desire to escape his housing predicament, and he reportedly visited between 200 and 300 websites over the course of two nights in his attempt to find images of children.

At the time, Clark was living in temporary accommodation, but he later moved to Willington Green in Maidstone. During the court proceedings, he initially denied three counts of possessing indecent images of children and one count of possessing extreme pornography, which involved a person performing an act of intercourse with a live animal, specifically a horse. However, he later changed his plea and admitted to two counts of possessing indecent images of children. The Crown Prosecution Service decided to drop the other charges due to insufficient evidence.

Prosecutor Diane Ginever explained that Detective Sergeant Kelly Rothwell visited Clark’s residence and discovered child pornography on his computer. The images were sent for forensic analysis, which confirmed the presence of additional illegal material. Ginever stated, “He [Clark] was depressed and wanted to go back to prison. He admitted he had searched the internet for child pornography in an effort to become arrested. He was depressed over his inability to find a permanent home. He visited between 200 and 300 sites over two nights.”

Defense lawyer Paul Greene argued that Clark’s actions were not motivated by personal gratification but rather by his ongoing struggle to secure suitable housing. Greene emphasized, “He was trying to find a council house. He would find an appropriate property but it would come to nothing. It [possessing child porn] was not done for personal gratification.”

During the court hearing at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court, Clark’s legal team revealed that he had even enlisted the help of his Member of Parliament in his efforts to find stable accommodation. The magistrates decided to release Clark on bail, with a scheduled return for sentencing on July 6. They issued a stern warning that he could face imprisonment, especially considering he now has a home and is subject to strict conditions banning him from associating with children under 16 and using the internet, among other restrictions.