FREDERICK HUDSON FROM ALVASTON INVOLVED IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND INDECENT FILMING AT ELVASTON CASTLE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community, Frederick Hudson, a 70-year-old former church leader and school bus driver from Penzance Road, Alvaston, has admitted to possessing a large collection of indecent images and footage involving young girls. The allegations stem from a series of disturbing discoveries made during police investigations into his activities, which revealed a long-standing pattern of inappropriate behavior and material.

Hudson's criminal conduct includes the possession of hundreds of explicit photographs of girls aged between 10 and 14 years old. These images were not only stored on his personal devices but also included video footage recorded during a visit to Elvaston Castle in the late 1980s, when he was part of the Church Brigade. Court proceedings detailed how this footage was secretly recorded and involved zooming in on the underwear of girls wearing skirts, capturing them in a highly inappropriate manner.

The court heard that this footage was kept in a concealed room within Hudson’s residence in Alvaston, indicating a deliberate effort to hide these materials from others. The investigation revealed that Hudson had downloaded additional images from the internet, further fueling concerns about his ongoing obsession with such material. Prosecutor Sarah Allen explained that Hudson’s preference was for images of girls in the age range of 10 to 14, and that he had even re-recorded some of the footage to magnify certain scenes.

Hudson’s illicit activities came to light after two teenage girls, who were traveling on his bus, became uneasy about his behavior towards them. Their concerns prompted police to investigate, leading to his arrest. When officers informed him of their intention to search his home, Hudson voluntarily disclosed the existence of the images and footage, describing it as a secret obsession that had persisted for many years. His legal representative, Julian Gill, characterized this as an unhealthy fascination that dated back decades, which Hudson claimed he had not actively viewed for many years.

During police interviews, Hudson admitted to producing and possessing the material, acknowledging that he was aroused by it. He claimed that the parents of the girls had given consent for him to film them during church outings, a statement that was met with skepticism by the authorities. The court was informed that Hudson had committed six counts of making indecent photographs between July 1986 and April 2010, spanning over two decades of troubling behavior.

Mr. Gill emphasized that the explicit footage was brief, lasting only seconds, and was stored away in a secret room where Hudson had not looked at it for many years. He explained that Hudson’s internet use had evolved over time, initially focusing on adult sites but eventually leading him to child-related content, which he described as a turning point in his behavior. Hudson expressed remorse and regret for his actions, stating that he had come clean to his family about his addiction.

In court, Judge John Gosling sentenced Hudson to a three-year community order, emphasizing the lasting harm caused to victims of such exploitation. The judge highlighted the lifelong suffering that victims endure when images of them as children circulate without their consent, often leading to feelings of guilt and shame. Although Hudson was not found to have directly harmed any child himself, his possession and creation of such material contributed to the ongoing cycle of abuse.

As part of his sentence, Hudson is required to attend the NSPCC Dove Project, which works with individuals involved in child sex offenses. He will also be under supervision by the probation service and must adhere to a sexual offenders’ prevention order, which prohibits him from taking photographs of girls under 18. Additionally, he is mandated to register as a sex offender for five years and is banned from working with children in any capacity. The judge warned that these restrictions could impact his ability to drive buses that carry children, underscoring the seriousness of his offenses and the potential risks involved.