GARY MASON OF HARTLEPOOL AND SOUTH SHIELDS JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In a case that has shocked the communities of Hartlepool and South Shields, Gary Mason, a former school governor and fire officer, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for a series of heinous sexual crimes committed against a young girl. The court also imposed a lifelong ban on Mason working with children and mandated his registration on the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life.

Gary Mason, aged 52, had previously been released from custody three years prior after being caught with indecent images of children. His recent conviction stems from a disturbing incident involving the sexual assault of a teenage girl, which took place at a time when Mason was actively downloading child abuse images from the internet. During the trial at Teesside Crown Court, it was revealed that Mason had pinned down the young victim and subjected her to multiple assaults, actions that the court described as both violent and predatory.

Despite denying nine charges of sexual assault and assault by penetration, Mason was found guilty of five counts after a jury deliberated. The judge, Howard Crowson, who presided over the case last month, stated plainly, "The evidence was clear," emphasizing the strength of the prosecution's case. The court heard that Mason, who had served on the governing body of High Tunstall College of Science in Hartlepool and worked as an arson awareness officer for Cleveland Fire Brigade, had a military background spanning 22 years, during which he achieved the rank of Captain and served in the Army, including a stint in Iraq.

The victim, whose identity remains protected for legal reasons, testified that Mason's physical strength overpowered her during the assault, and she struggled to fend him off. The court also learned that Mason had previously admitted to downloading 17 counts of indecent images of underage girls, a conviction that resulted in an eight-month suspended sentence in February 2011. That sentence was suspended for two years, with Mason ordered to undergo sex offender treatment.

At the time of his latest conviction, Mason, formerly residing on Sandbanks Drive in Hartlepool and now living on Broad Landings in South Shields, was sentenced to a significant prison term. His defense lawyer, Jim Withyman, highlighted Mason's past as a dedicated worker and a serviceman, stating, "The defendant has been a hard-working man in the past. He has served his country."

Earlier, in November 2013, Mason faced additional charges after being convicted of five child sex offenses. The trial, which lasted three and a half hours, saw Mason deny the allegations of sexual assault, claiming he had never touched the girl. However, the jury found him guilty of four counts of sexual assault and one of assault by penetration. Judge Crowson remarked that such offenses typically warrant custodial sentences, and he expressed concern over Mason's actions.

During the proceedings, Mason also admitted to viewing child abuse images on his home computers, which police uncovered during an unrelated investigation. The images, totaling 1,861, included some of a particularly disturbing nature, such as pictures of children being sexually abused and a photograph of a baby. Mason explained that he first encountered such images while attempting to download a film from a website and that he had also watched a gruesome video of British hostage Ken Bigley's beheading multiple times, describing his depression as spiraling during that period.

Mason's military career included service in Iraq from 2005 to 2007, where he was deployed as part of the U.S.-led efforts in the War on Terror. His background also includes a lengthy tenure in the Army, starting at age 17, and subsequent work as a fire investigator and arson reduction officer. Following his conviction for child pornography in February 2011, Mason transitioned to driving a truck for a living.

He faced multiple charges, including six counts of sexual assault and three of assault by penetration. The jury found him guilty of four counts of sexual assault and one of assault by penetration, with the remaining charges acquitted. Mason was granted bail pending pre-sentence reports, with sentencing scheduled for January 10.

In the 2011 case, Mason's collection of child abuse images was discovered during police searches of his Hartlepool home. The images, which included some of a baby, were part of a disturbing collection of 1,861 pictures. Mason was suspended from his roles at the secondary school and the fire brigade following the discovery. His barrister attributed his behavior to possible medical issues, including diabetes and blood-sugar imbalances, and suggested that his actions might have been driven by a compulsive disorder.

Judge George Moorhouse, who presided over that case, sentenced Mason to an eight-month prison term, suspended for two years, with supervision and a requirement to attend a sex offenders' treatment program. Mason was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for ten years and was permanently barred from working with children. The headteacher of High Tunstall College of Science clarified that Mason's offenses did not relate to his duties as a governor, and he was dismissed from that role in October 2013. The fire brigade also confirmed that Mason was no longer employed by them, cooperating fully with police during the investigation.

Detective Inspector Mike Cane of Cleveland Police’s vulnerability unit described the images as "sickening" and emphasized the severity of Mason's crimes, which have left a lasting impact on the victims and the community at large.