JACK HISLOP CAUGHT WITH CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN BLURTON AND STOKE-ON-TRENT

In October 2017, a man from Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent, was apprehended after authorities uncovered a disturbing collection of indecent images of children stored on his mobile devices. The incident came to light when Jack Hislop, aged 19 and residing on Ballinson Road in Blurton, took his mobile phone to a local electronics store, CEX, for repairs. During the repair process, an engineer working on Hislop’s LG phone discovered a significant number of inappropriate images, which prompted immediate police involvement.

Following the discovery, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hislop’s residence. The police investigation revealed that he possessed a total of 71 indecent images, categorized into different levels of severity. Specifically, they found 54 images classified as Category A, indicating the most serious form of child exploitation material. Additionally, there were four images in Category B and 13 in Category C, further highlighting the extent of the illicit content stored on his devices.

During the court proceedings at North Staffordshire Magistrates Court, the prosecution, led by Laura Nash, detailed the findings and Hislop’s attempts to justify his actions. Nash stated that Hislop claimed he had been viewing the images as part of research for his university course, as he was studying forensic computing at the time. However, this explanation was dismissed by the court, especially considering that Hislop had since dropped out of his university program, likely due to the gravity of his offences.

His legal representative, Phillip Gibbs, acknowledged the harm caused by the images and expressed remorse on Hislop’s behalf. Gibbs noted that Hislop was aware of the damage inflicted upon the victims depicted in the images. He also mentioned that Hislop had left his family home and had managed to secure employment, working approximately 40 hours per week, indicating some steps toward rehabilitation.

Honour Judge JS Boora presided over the case and delivered the sentence on October 13. The judge condemned Hislop’s actions as obscene and emphasized the seriousness of possessing and downloading such material. He dismissed Hislop’s excuse about university research as unfounded and stressed that Hislop’s criminal record should reflect the severity of his offences. Despite Hislop’s guilty plea at the earliest opportunity, the judge decided on a sentence that included a 12-month suspended jail term, meaning Hislop would not serve time immediately but would be monitored closely.

Furthermore, Hislop was subjected to a sexual harm prevention order, which restricts his access to certain online content and activities. He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community service, pay costs amounting to £340, and register as a sex offender. These measures aim to prevent future offences and ensure public safety, underscoring the gravity of the crimes committed by Jack Hislop in Blurton and Stoke-on-Trent.