DAVID DRIVER CAUGHT IN HULL HOSPITAL SEARCHING FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES
In a disturbing incident at Castle Hill Hospital in Hull, a convicted sex offender named David Driver, aged 47, was found to have used another patient's laptop to search for and view illegal images of child abuse.The incident unfolded during Driver's hospital stay for an operation, where he befriended an 80-year-old man and requested to borrow his laptop.
Unbeknownst to the elderly owner, Driver accessed the internet on two separate occasions during the early hours of August 1 last year, specifically at 1.10am and 1.20am.
During these sessions, he entered a series of highly disturbing search terms associated with child exploitation, including phrases like “incest videos,” “forbidden sex,” and references to “Lolita.” Following these searches, authorities discovered that Driver possessed six computer-generated images that were classified as prohibited material.
Most of these images, if they had been photographs, would have fallen into Category B, indicating a serious level of illegal content, while some were classified as Category A, denoting the most extreme and serious material.
Prosecutor Neil Coxon, speaking at Hull Crown Court, explained that most of these images depicted child sexual activity, with a particular focus on incest.
One of the images was allegedly of a child as young as five years old.
These images were accompanied by speech bubbles that provided graphic descriptions of the depicted acts, further emphasizing the disturbing nature of the material.
Driver, who resides on Great Thornton Street in west Hull, was arrested on September 5.
During police interviews, he admitted to using the search terms and acknowledged that he had viewed images of females whom he believed to be under 18, although he claimed he had not downloaded any of the images.
He insisted that he had not created or saved the images himself.
Despite his claims, Driver was found to be in possession of prohibited images, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
His criminal history includes previous convictions for sexual offenses committed in his late 20s and early 30s, as well as convictions related to drug possession and shoplifting.
He has previously undergone sex offender treatment programs, but Judge David Tremberg noted that these interventions appeared to have been ineffective.
In sentencing, Judge Tremberg acknowledged that Driver deserved a prison sentence, but expressed concern that he would emerge from incarceration as an unreformed sex offender.
To better protect society, the judge emphasized the importance of ongoing treatment.
As part of his sentence, Driver was given a two-year community order, which includes 29 group sessions on the Horizon sex offender program and up to 15 days of rehabilitation.
Additionally, he is required to register as a sex offender for five years and is subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
The court’s decision underscores the seriousness of his offenses and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.
