JOHN ATKINSON FROM PAULSGROVE, PORTSMOUTH SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AND INDECENT IMAGES

In October 2012, John Atkinson, a convicted paedophile with a disturbing 30-year history of abusing children, was sentenced to four years in prison following a serious sexual assault on a young boy. The incident took place in Paulsgrove, Portsmouth, where Atkinson resided on Chedworth Crescent. The court heard that the 47-year-old man had a long-standing pattern of offending against minors, spanning over three decades, which made his latest crime particularly alarming.

Atkinson’s criminal record is extensive. His first convictions date back to 1982 when he was found guilty of two counts of gross indecency with a child and three additional charges related to gross indecency. Two years later, he was placed under a probation order due to serious sexual offences involving children. His criminal activities escalated, leading to a four-year prison sentence in 1985 for child sex offences. Later, in 1993, he was sentenced to a decade behind bars for further offences involving minors.

Despite these lengthy periods of incarceration and ongoing monitoring under the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), which aimed to mitigate the risk he posed to the public, Atkinson continued to offend. In October of the previous year, a boy under 16, whose identity remains protected by law, visited Atkinson’s house multiple times. The court was told that Atkinson exploited the trust of this young victim, taking advantage of his innocence and confusion during the assault.

Judge Roger Hetherington presided over the case at Portsmouth Crown Court. In his sentencing remarks, he described Atkinson as a self-confessed paedophile who had a deeply troubling record. The judge emphasized the danger Atkinson still posed, stating, “You have an appalling record having served fairly substantial terms of imprisonment in respect of offences against boys of about this age. I have no doubt that you represent a high risk of causing serious harm in the future by further offending.”

During the trial, Atkinson pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child, 20 counts of making indecent images, and two counts of possessing a total of 13,500 indecent images. However, he was found not guilty of two additional charges of raping another boy under 16 between June and October of the previous year. Brian Austin, aged 52, who shared a residence with Atkinson, was also acquitted of two counts of raping a boy under 16 following their joint trial.

As part of his sentence, the court imposed a sexual offences prevention order that prohibits Atkinson from having contact with anyone under 16 upon his release. The order also restricts his use of the internet, forbidding him from contacting children online, deleting his internet search history, or taking photographs of minors. Additionally, he will be on licence for eight years, allowing authorities to closely monitor his activities and ensure compliance with the court’s restrictions.

Defense lawyer Pierce Power acknowledged the severity of the extended licence period, stating, “The extended licence period will be something to hang over his head. He will know exactly what he is looking at if he were to reoffend and coupled with the sexual offences prevention order would satisfy the risk.”