JACK HESLOP FROM BLURTON AND FENTON CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES ON WORK PHONE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local communities of Blurton and Fenton, 19-year-old Jack Heslop was found to be in possession of illegal child abuse images. The incident came to light in October 2017 when Heslop’s work phone was sent for repair, leading to a series of events that uncovered his involvement in possessing and downloading indecent images of children.

Heslop, who resides on Ballinson Road in Blurton, was arrested after the engineers handling his phone discovered the disturbing photographs. Recognizing the severity of the content, the engineers promptly contacted the police, prompting an immediate investigation. Subsequently, in January, authorities executed a search warrant at Heslop’s residence in Fenton, where they seized additional electronic devices, including another phone and a computer tower.

Thorough analysis of all three devices revealed a total of 71 indecent images of children, categorized into different levels of severity. Among these, 54 images were classified as Category A, indicating the most serious nature of the content, with four images falling into Category B and 13 into Category C. The police findings painted a troubling picture of Heslop’s activities, raising serious concerns about his intentions and the potential harm caused to the victims depicted in the images.

During police interviews, Heslop claimed that his interest in child protection was the reason behind his actions. He reportedly told officers that he had downloaded the images from the dark web for research purposes, describing his actions as a “silly mistake.” Despite his claims, the evidence against him was overwhelming, and he pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Heslop’s case was brought before Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, where Judge Jinder Singh Boora delivered a stern sentence. Heslop was sentenced to 12 months in a young offenders’ institution, but this sentence was suspended for two years. The judge also ordered Heslop to participate in a 10-day rehabilitation activity, complete a two-year sex offenders’ programme, and perform 200 hours of unpaid community work. In his remarks, Judge Boora emphasized the gravity of Heslop’s actions, stating, “It is people like you causing these children to be abused.”

While acknowledging Heslop’s full admissions of guilt, the judge dismissed his claim of research purposes as “patent nonsense.” Nonetheless, the pre-sentence report showed signs of hope, as Heslop expressed remorse and recognized the potential harm his actions could have caused. As part of the court’s ruling, Heslop was also subjected to a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for a decade. Additionally, he was ordered to pay costs amounting to £340, further underscoring the seriousness of the case and the community’s need for protection from such offenders.