DAVID STOCKS FROM BORROWASH SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND SURVIVES MULTI-STOREY FALL

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Borrowash, David Stocks, a 42-year-old man, was found guilty of possessing, making, and distributing indecent images of children. The case came to light after international cooperation and investigations revealed his involvement in accessing and sharing illegal material online.

Authorities in Italy alerted Derbyshire police to Stocks' activities after discovering that he had been visiting child pornography websites and sharing explicit images. This prompted a thorough investigation, during which police seized a computer and two hard drives from his residence on Manor Road, Borrowash. The forensic analysis uncovered that Stocks had sent over 3,100 pornographic photographs to other users via chat rooms, indicating a significant level of distribution.

Following his arrest, Stocks attempted to escape the consequences of his actions in a tragic and dramatic manner. He threw himself from the Cockpit multi-storey car park, falling approximately 30 feet onto the roof of the Eagle Centre Indoor Market. The fall resulted in severe injuries, including fractures to his spine, pelvis, feet, ribs, and leg, which left him permanently disabled and confined to a wheelchair.

His sentencing took place at Derby Crown Court, where Judge John Burgess handed down a sentence of 18 months for each of the 35 charges he faced, with all sentences to run concurrently. In addition to his prison term, Stocks was subjected to a lifelong ban from working with children and was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next ten years. He was also placed under a sexual offences prevention order, which requires him to notify police if he uses a computer and prohibits him from using software that deletes images.

During the hearing, the court was informed that Stocks had exchanged indecent images of children on 24 separate occasions over an eight-month period. The images ranged from Category One to Category Five, with the latter being the most graphic and disturbing. Further examination of the seized drives revealed that, in September 2007, there were 58 indecent images stored on his computer, with an additional 3,500 images viewed and subsequently deleted.

Prosecutor John Wood stated, “It was believed that he was involved in distributing indecent pictures of children, and that was indeed the case. When the computer was examined, it revealed that, on 24 occasions within an eight-month period, he used software to exchange these images with other users.”

Stocks admitted to all 35 charges, with 24 counts related to the distribution of child pornography. His defense lawyer, Justin Ablott, highlighted the severity of his injuries following the suicide attempt, noting that Stocks had reached a recovery plateau and was unlikely to recover further from the injuries sustained during his fall.

Judge Burgess emphasized the gravity of child pornography crimes, stating, “Child pornography is not a victimless crime. Every child depicted in those images has been abused. The victims are the children, and the reason they are victims is because of individuals like you who seek out and view such material. Viewing these images is one of the most unpleasant aspects of my job.”

In conclusion, the case underscores the serious consequences of engaging in such illegal activities, both legally and physically, as demonstrated by Stocks’ tragic fall and lifelong disabilities. Authorities continue to work on tracing the individuals who received the images, aiming to dismantle the distribution network further and protect potential victims.