September 2007 Foot fetish pervert dad spared prison A FATHER with a fetish for children’s feet has been put on the Sex Offenders’ Register. John Peter Shaw had a hoard of child porn images on his computer, Bolton Crown Court was told. He also collected pictures of children’s feet and used his mobile phone to take a shot of a five-year-old girl’s foot resting on his groin. Shaw, aged 30, formerly of Westland Avenue, Farnworth, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13 and 17 counts of making indecent images of a child under 13. He broke down in tears in the dock as the court was told about his obsession. Susan Carter, prosecuting, told the court images were discovered on Shaw’s computer in February, 2006, when he was being investigated by Trading Standards for an unrelated matter. They found he had been accessing internet chatrooms and downloading images which showed children being sexually abused. Shaw also used chatrooms to speak to other internet users about his fetish for young girls and his desire to have a daughter. Miss Carter told the court that 58 images, eight of which were classed as level four – which means they show acts of abuse – were found on Shaw’s computer. They also discovered a picture taken on his phone of a five-year-old girl with her bare foot on his clothed groin, which Shaw admitted was sexual in its nature. The child was not his own. Richard Dawson, defending, said: “This is an extremely unusual case on so many levels. “This is the first time, to my knowledge, that touching a young girl’s foot would come under the ambit of a sexual assault. “These sexual assaults on children are so very different in character from those usually heard in this court.” Judge Elliott Knopf said: “This is a world apart from the normal situation. The choice for me is stark – do I send you to prison or shall I look at imposing a sentence which would be more constructive?” The judge decided not to send Shaw to prison and gave him a three-year community order. He must attend a rehabilitation programme in Northumbria. He has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for three years and has been banned from working with children. Shaw was warned that if he re-offends he faces jail.