BURNLEY CHILD PORN OFFENDER JAMES KERR SENTENCED TO 18 MONTHS IN PRISON

In December 2006, a disturbing case emerged involving James Kerr, a health service manager from Burnley, who was convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography. Kerr, aged 58 and a married father of three, resided on Salus Street, off Briercliffe Road in Burnley. His criminal activities came to light after a colleague discovered his illicit emails on a work computer, leading to a police investigation that uncovered a disturbing collection of indecent images involving children.

At the time, Kerr was employed as the operations manager for the GPs' out-of-hours service at the Burnley and Pendle Primary Care Centre located on Browhead Road in Burnley. The discovery was made when Kerr, who frequently used his colleague’s computer, failed to log out of his email account properly. When the colleague accessed the system, she was confronted with highly disturbing images depicting children being subjected to severe abuse. Further examination revealed the presence of the name Anna Wallace, claiming to be a 17-year-old girl from Liverpool, which Kerr used to impersonate in order to send the illicit images and lend an air of false authenticity to his communications.

Following this shocking discovery, the colleague alerted other staff members, prompting immediate police involvement. Kerr, a former soldier, was subsequently detained and handed over 26 floppy disks containing similar indecent images. Kerr had no prior criminal record, but he admitted to 21 counts of making indecent images of children and four counts of distributing such images. He also requested that 52 additional charges be considered by the court.

The court heard that Kerr’s conduct was both planned and sophisticated, driven by a demand for these disturbing images. Probation officers assessed him as posing a medium risk of reoffending and harm to children. Kerr was unable to provide a clear explanation for his actions, claiming that his initial curiosity had escalated into a compulsive behavior.

Judge Barbara Watson, presiding over the case, expressed profound disappointment and concern during sentencing. She described the situation as an “absolute tragedy,” emphasizing the loss Kerr had suffered—his reputation, career, and personal life—culminating in a grave conviction that would follow him for the rest of his days. The judge, who had viewed the images as part of her judicial duties, stated that no rational person could feel anything but “dismay, disgust, and concern” for the children depicted.

Addressing Kerr directly, Judge Watson remarked, “For you, however, they seemed to have provided some sort of sexual stimulation. In my judgment, it beggars belief that any right-thinking person could be curious about child pornography.”

As part of his sentence, Kerr was sentenced to 18 months in prison and was banned from working with children. He was also subjected to a Sex Offenders’ Prevention Order, which prohibited him from possessing a computer at home or work unless supervised. Additionally, he was restricted from using the internet at work without supervision and was forbidden from having any contact with children under 18 unless through their parent or guardian. Kerr was ordered to register as a sex offender.

During the proceedings, Kerr’s defense lawyer, Martin Hackett, stated that Kerr’s wife had stood by him until the end. Mr. Hackett explained that Kerr’s actions were driven by a compulsive need, and that he had begun attending church and counseling sessions in an attempt to understand and address his behavior.

A spokesperson for the East Lancashire Primary Care Trust clarified that Kerr was never directly employed by the Trust, but rather worked as the operations manager for the GPs’ out-of-hours service at the Burnley and Pendle Primary Care Centre. The organization emphasized that Kerr’s criminal activities did not involve direct employment with them, but the case nonetheless cast a shadow over the local health services.