JOSEPH DART FROM BURY SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGE DOWNLOADS IN BOLTON

In a case that has shocked the local community, Joseph Dart, a 32-year-old bar worker from Bury, was brought before Bolton Crown Court to face charges related to the possession and download of illegal child abuse images. The court heard that Dart had been found to possess a significant collection of indecent images and videos depicting children, which he had stored on his personal computer equipment located in his bedroom at his residence in Andrew Close, Greenmount.

The investigation was initiated on February 5 of the previous year when police officers visited Dart’s home following a tip-off. During the search, authorities seized his Dell laptop and an external hard drive, which upon analysis revealed a disturbing cache of illegal material. The devices contained a total of 327 indecent photographs of children, along with 121 videos. The images were classified predominantly as categories B and C, which denote less severe levels of indecency, but alarmingly, 50 of the videos fell into the most serious category, A, involving young boys as young as five years old.

Prosecutor Lindsay Thomas outlined that Dart admitted to downloading these images and videos approximately once or twice annually. He also disclosed that he viewed such material two to three times weekly. Dart reportedly explained that his searches were primarily focused on boys aged 10 and above, and he admitted to experiencing sexual attraction towards children in this age group. Mrs. Thomas emphasized that Dart had been viewing indecent images on his computer for the past 15 years, indicating a long-standing pattern of offending.

During the hearing, Dart’s defense attorney, Ian Johnstone, described his client as a socially isolated and introverted individual. He revealed that Dart had only recently come out to his family as gay, doing so just last year. Mr. Johnstone further explained that Dart had never been involved in a romantic relationship and that his primary relationship was with his laptop. Since his arrest, Dart, who has no prior criminal record, has sought counseling to address his behavior. The defense argued that Dart was genuinely remorseful, expressing shame and disgust at his actions.

Judge Richard Gioserano sentenced Dart to a three-year community order, emphasizing that this approach would serve to protect the public more effectively than a short prison sentence. As part of his sentence, Dart was ordered to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities and participate in a sex offenders’ treatment program. The judge highlighted that these measures were intended to reduce the risk of reoffending and to address the underlying issues associated with Dart’s offending behavior.