KEITH GODFREY FROM LITTLEMORE AND OXFORD JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND SEXUAL OFFENSES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local communities of Littlemore and Oxford, Keith Godfrey, a pensioner with no prior criminal record, was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of possessing and sharing a vast collection of indecent images of children. The investigation revealed that police officers discovered approximately 1,600 illicit images on multiple devices, including a laptop, an external hard drive, and four USB sticks, during a raid on his residence.

Keith Godfrey, aged 69 at the time, resided in St Nicholas Park, Old Marston, Oxford. He confessed to developing an obsessive interest in child abuse imagery starting in 2008, a pattern of behavior that spanned several years. During police interviews, he openly admitted to his fixation and further disclosed that he had shared a photograph of himself in Thailand engaging in a sexual act with a seven-year-old boy. This revelation was particularly alarming, as it indicated not only possession but also active distribution of such material.

The court proceedings uncovered that Godfrey had pleaded guilty to 15 counts, including five counts of making indecent images of children and nine counts of distributing such images. Additionally, he admitted to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity between December 18, 2006, and January 16, 2008. Prosecutor Cathy Olliver detailed that the images and videos were recovered from various electronic devices, and it was only upon a detailed review that authorities realized Godfrey himself appeared in one of the photographs. Facial recognition experts confirmed his identity, and chat logs from his online conversations revealed that he had discussed his activities with other paedophiles.

Further evidence presented in court indicated that Godfrey had claimed to have abused a five-year-old boy in England, although he now denies these allegations. His online communications also included claims of visiting Thailand and engaging in sexual acts with minors, which he discussed openly with other individuals involved in similar criminal behavior.

His defense attorney, Jonathan Coode, highlighted that Godfrey had worked for many years as an under-butler at a college affiliated with Oxford University before transitioning into a role as a hotel manager. Coode emphasized that his client had no previous convictions and had kept his offending hidden from his long-term partner of 18 years. He also noted that Godfrey had cooperated fully with police, providing them with the names of the websites he frequented, which aided ongoing investigations.

Judge Ian Pringle sentenced Keith Godfrey to five years in prison and imposed a sexual offences prevention order to restrict his future activities. Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Simon Beaton of the Paedophile Online Investigation Team commented on the case, stating, “This investigation focused on the activities of an individual who abused a child and chatted openly with other internet users about his sexual interest in children. He accessed, stored, and shared a large amount of indecent images of children. Traveling away from the UK to commit sexual offences against children will not prevent the police from pursuing paedophiles. These acts and the images of these acts are abhorrent, and Thames Valley Police remains committed to protecting our communities from individuals like him.”

In a related case from October 2013, Keith Godfrey, then aged 71 and residing in St Nicholas Road, Littlemore, admitted to downloading and sharing over 1,500 indecent images of children. He appeared at Oxford Crown Court and pleaded guilty to similar charges, including five counts of making and nine counts of distributing indecent images, as well as causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The court was informed that he would be required to register as a sex offender and that a pre-sentence report was being prepared. Judge Gordon Risius granted bail on the condition that Godfrey does not contact anyone under 18, with sentencing scheduled for November 14.