DAVID PARROTT FROM WATERLOOVILLE AND SOUTHAMPTON CAUGHT IN CHILD ABUSE IMAGE SCANDAL

In August 2011, a disturbing case unfolded involving David Parrott, a man whose actions led to a police investigation revealing a disturbing pattern of child exploitation and possession of indecent images. The case began when a woman, working as a sex worker, decided to assist law enforcement after Parrott attempted to solicit her for a meeting with a young girl, offering money in exchange for access to a child.

Parrott, aged 40 at the time, sent a troubling message to the woman, confessing that he had been viewing images of children being abused online. The message read: ‘Been watching little girls aged seven and eight years old online. Looks good. I know it’s sick. Can you get me a little girl? Will pay you good money if you do.’ Recognizing the severity and criminal nature of his request, the woman chose to report the incident to the police rather than facilitate his request.

Law enforcement officials quickly traced the phone number used by Parrott, leading to a raid on his residence in Waterlooville. During the search, officers uncovered a significant cache of illegal material, including 53 indecent images of children. These images ranged from girls as young as four to 16 years old and included some of the most depraved and disturbing content. In addition to the images stored on his computer, police found four printed photographs in his bedside cabinet and another image in his vehicle, indicating a disturbing level of premeditation and possession.

Parrott was questioned about his actions and expressed uncertainty about what he would have done if the prostitute had arranged for him to meet a young girl. His defense lawyer, Elisabeth Bussey-Jones, argued that Parrott did not intend to pursue further illegal activities and claimed that his actions were attempts to shock himself into reality. However, the court was not convinced by this explanation.

Judge Peter Henry addressed the court, emphasizing the gravity of the case and the harm inflicted upon victims. He stated, “What you have got to understand is that there are victims in this type of case and the victims are the children. They have been forced to do the most obscene things and have had obscene things done to them, and they will be damaged substantially. That’s all because somebody along the line makes money out of distributing these photographs for the gratification of people like you.”

He also expressed concern over the explicit text message Parrott sent to the prostitute, highlighting it as a grave indicator of the potential escalation of his offending behavior. The judge underscored the importance of protecting children and indicated that a treatment program for sex offenders would be the most appropriate course of action to prevent further harm.

Since committing these offenses between 2008 and 2010, Parrott, who had moved from Waterlooville to Southampton’s Millbrook Road East, pleaded guilty to nine charges of making indecent images of a child and two charges of possessing indecent images. The court sentenced him to a three-year community order, which includes three years of supervision by the probation service. Additionally, Parrott is required to register as a sex offender for five years, is prohibited from working with children, and has been ordered to pay £300 in court costs. His case underscores the ongoing efforts to combat child exploitation and the importance of vigilant law enforcement in protecting vulnerable victims.