JOHN SCILLITOE FROM TIPTREE CAUGHT WITH HORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN CHELMSFORD
| Red Rose Database
Tiptree Child Sexual Abuser
In September 2018, a disturbing case emerged involving John Scillitoe, a resident of Bijou Close in Tiptree, who was found to possess an alarming collection of over 10,000 child abuse images. The investigation revealed that Scillitoe had been accumulating this vile material over a span of three years, with the collection including extremely graphic images depicting the torture of children as young as six years old.
On Thursday, September 13, at Chelmsford Crown Court, Scillitoe, aged 48, was sentenced to nine months in prison, but the sentence was suspended for two years. The court heard that he had pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of making indecent images, three counts of possessing indecent images, and one count of possessing extreme pornography. The police had executed a warrant at his home on July 22 of the previous year, uncovering the extensive and disturbing collection of images.
Prosecutor Claire Cooper described the contents of the images, stating, “They demonstrated penetration of children and children being bound. The children were in obvious signs of distress.” She further explained that police interviews with Scillitoe took place twice—once during his arrest at his residence, where his family was present, and again after analysis of the evidence. During these interviews, he responded with “no comment” to all questions, even after being presented with the evidence against him.
It was revealed that Scillitoe’s offending began three years prior to the police raid. Despite the severity of his actions, he has been forthcoming with his family since the police search, and they have continued to support him. In addition to his suspended prison sentence, Scillitoe is mandated to complete 40 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, participate in the Horizon programme designed for sex offenders, and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years. Furthermore, he will be registered as a sex offender for a period of ten years.
Earlier in August 2018, authorities uncovered the extent of his sickening collection, which included hundreds of obscene images of children and a disturbing image depicting a sex act with an animal. It was reported that he viewed approximately 10,000 of these images over three years, with 3,057 classified as the most serious Category A images. During the police search, which took place between January 2014 and July 2017, officers found that he had viewed a total of 10,662 images, including 2,633 of Category B and 4,972 of Category C.
Scillitoe’s legal representative, Hannah Sutton, stated that her client had been honest with investigators from the outset. The judge, Christopher Morgan, agreed to delay sentencing to allow for a full pre-sentence report, warning Scillitoe that the case’s seriousness could result in a prison sentence. The judge emphasized that the custody threshold had been crossed and that all options would be considered in the report. Bail was granted on the same terms as before, with sentencing scheduled to begin on September 10 at Chelmsford Crown Court. The judge also warned that failure to attend court without a valid reason could lead to an arrest warrant and that a full application for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order would be made.
On Thursday, September 13, at Chelmsford Crown Court, Scillitoe, aged 48, was sentenced to nine months in prison, but the sentence was suspended for two years. The court heard that he had pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of making indecent images, three counts of possessing indecent images, and one count of possessing extreme pornography. The police had executed a warrant at his home on July 22 of the previous year, uncovering the extensive and disturbing collection of images.
Prosecutor Claire Cooper described the contents of the images, stating, “They demonstrated penetration of children and children being bound. The children were in obvious signs of distress.” She further explained that police interviews with Scillitoe took place twice—once during his arrest at his residence, where his family was present, and again after analysis of the evidence. During these interviews, he responded with “no comment” to all questions, even after being presented with the evidence against him.
It was revealed that Scillitoe’s offending began three years prior to the police raid. Despite the severity of his actions, he has been forthcoming with his family since the police search, and they have continued to support him. In addition to his suspended prison sentence, Scillitoe is mandated to complete 40 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, participate in the Horizon programme designed for sex offenders, and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years. Furthermore, he will be registered as a sex offender for a period of ten years.
Earlier in August 2018, authorities uncovered the extent of his sickening collection, which included hundreds of obscene images of children and a disturbing image depicting a sex act with an animal. It was reported that he viewed approximately 10,000 of these images over three years, with 3,057 classified as the most serious Category A images. During the police search, which took place between January 2014 and July 2017, officers found that he had viewed a total of 10,662 images, including 2,633 of Category B and 4,972 of Category C.
Scillitoe’s legal representative, Hannah Sutton, stated that her client had been honest with investigators from the outset. The judge, Christopher Morgan, agreed to delay sentencing to allow for a full pre-sentence report, warning Scillitoe that the case’s seriousness could result in a prison sentence. The judge emphasized that the custody threshold had been crossed and that all options would be considered in the report. Bail was granted on the same terms as before, with sentencing scheduled to begin on September 10 at Chelmsford Crown Court. The judge also warned that failure to attend court without a valid reason could lead to an arrest warrant and that a full application for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order would be made.