DAVID DAVENPORT'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN IPSWICH: PAEDOPHILE SHOPKEEPER'S DEvious Tactics AND REPEATED OFFENSES
| Red Rose Database
Ipswich Child Sexual Abuser
In March 2020, a disturbing case emerged involving David Davenport, a shopkeeper from Ipswich, who was sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of possessing indecent images of children for the third time. Davenport, aged 63 and residing on Hawthorn Drive, employed a series of cunning and manipulative strategies to evade detection and avoid the restrictions placed upon him by a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).
He attempted to justify his actions by claiming that his viewing of adult pornography was solely for stress relief, asserting that he had 'pushed the boundaries' of his existing legal restrictions. Despite initially denying any breach of the SHPO, Davenport changed his stance on the day of his trial in January, ultimately admitting to the offence. During the proceedings, he also confessed to possessing one image classified as the most serious Level A, another at Level B, and two at Level C, all of which depicted children in indecent circumstances.
Prior to sentencing, Davenport submitted a 'statement of innocence' to Ipswich Crown Court, which he later retracted, accepting guilt at the last moment on Wednesday. His criminal history regarding indecent images dates back to 2005 when he was convicted in Manchester, his former home jurisdiction. In July 2011, Davenport appeared before Suffolk magistrates, admitting to two additional offences after authorities found him with over 180 indecent images of children. He received a six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and was prohibited from owning devices capable of displaying internet history.
Further investigations in April 2018 revealed that Davenport’s devices contained no evidence of recent visits to pornographic websites. However, he admitted to viewing adult pornography and using a portable web browser, QtWeb, via a USB drive to access the internet discreetly. Prosecutor Nicola May explained that additional analysis uncovered two SD cards configured with software designed for private browsing, and an HP computer tower was found to contain four deleted indecent images. Between November 2017 and his arrest, Davenport accessed web browsing software on 97 occasions.
Davenport explained to police that his declining mental health over the past 15 years led him to seek relief through adult 'teen' pornography, which he accessed via a portable browser to prevent contamination of his main computer. During sentencing, Gavin Burrell, representing Davenport, argued that imprisonment would severely damage Davenport’s already struggling business, negatively impact his wife and her family in Vietnam, and hinder his chances of rehabilitation within the community.
However, Judge Rupert Overbury emphasized the seriousness of Davenport’s actions, condemning his deliberate breach of the court order. The judge stated that Davenport had wasted court resources by pursuing a false defense and that his claim of 'pushing boundaries' was unacceptable. As a result, the judge extended Davenport’s SHPO for an additional ten years, emphasizing the importance of protecting the public from such blatant violations.
In a related incident from July 2011, Davenport, then 54, was found with more than 180 indecent images of children. He admitted to two counts of making indecent images of children at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court and received a six-month suspended sentence for two years. Additionally, he was banned from accessing pornography online for two years. The community’s reaction was one of outrage, with Victoria Edwards, a mother from Chantry, expressing her horror at the leniency of the punishment. She voiced her concern for her children, stating, “I am disgusted that this man has received such a low punishment. What is the world coming to? You are more likely to get harsher punishment for stealing from a shop.”
Support groups like Survivors in Transition (SiT) condemned the sentence, highlighting the devastating long-term impact such crimes have on victims. Fiona Ellis from SiT emphasized that the law must better address the ongoing harm caused by the production and distribution of indecent images, which perpetuate cycles of abuse and re-victimization throughout victims’ lives. The case of David Davenport underscores the ongoing challenges in safeguarding children and the importance of strict enforcement of laws against such heinous crimes.
He attempted to justify his actions by claiming that his viewing of adult pornography was solely for stress relief, asserting that he had 'pushed the boundaries' of his existing legal restrictions. Despite initially denying any breach of the SHPO, Davenport changed his stance on the day of his trial in January, ultimately admitting to the offence. During the proceedings, he also confessed to possessing one image classified as the most serious Level A, another at Level B, and two at Level C, all of which depicted children in indecent circumstances.
Prior to sentencing, Davenport submitted a 'statement of innocence' to Ipswich Crown Court, which he later retracted, accepting guilt at the last moment on Wednesday. His criminal history regarding indecent images dates back to 2005 when he was convicted in Manchester, his former home jurisdiction. In July 2011, Davenport appeared before Suffolk magistrates, admitting to two additional offences after authorities found him with over 180 indecent images of children. He received a six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and was prohibited from owning devices capable of displaying internet history.
Further investigations in April 2018 revealed that Davenport’s devices contained no evidence of recent visits to pornographic websites. However, he admitted to viewing adult pornography and using a portable web browser, QtWeb, via a USB drive to access the internet discreetly. Prosecutor Nicola May explained that additional analysis uncovered two SD cards configured with software designed for private browsing, and an HP computer tower was found to contain four deleted indecent images. Between November 2017 and his arrest, Davenport accessed web browsing software on 97 occasions.
Davenport explained to police that his declining mental health over the past 15 years led him to seek relief through adult 'teen' pornography, which he accessed via a portable browser to prevent contamination of his main computer. During sentencing, Gavin Burrell, representing Davenport, argued that imprisonment would severely damage Davenport’s already struggling business, negatively impact his wife and her family in Vietnam, and hinder his chances of rehabilitation within the community.
However, Judge Rupert Overbury emphasized the seriousness of Davenport’s actions, condemning his deliberate breach of the court order. The judge stated that Davenport had wasted court resources by pursuing a false defense and that his claim of 'pushing boundaries' was unacceptable. As a result, the judge extended Davenport’s SHPO for an additional ten years, emphasizing the importance of protecting the public from such blatant violations.
In a related incident from July 2011, Davenport, then 54, was found with more than 180 indecent images of children. He admitted to two counts of making indecent images of children at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court and received a six-month suspended sentence for two years. Additionally, he was banned from accessing pornography online for two years. The community’s reaction was one of outrage, with Victoria Edwards, a mother from Chantry, expressing her horror at the leniency of the punishment. She voiced her concern for her children, stating, “I am disgusted that this man has received such a low punishment. What is the world coming to? You are more likely to get harsher punishment for stealing from a shop.”
Support groups like Survivors in Transition (SiT) condemned the sentence, highlighting the devastating long-term impact such crimes have on victims. Fiona Ellis from SiT emphasized that the law must better address the ongoing harm caused by the production and distribution of indecent images, which perpetuate cycles of abuse and re-victimization throughout victims’ lives. The case of David Davenport underscores the ongoing challenges in safeguarding children and the importance of strict enforcement of laws against such heinous crimes.