PHOTOGRAPHER FOR MISS ENGLAND JAILED FOR POSSESSING INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN

A disturbing case involves Kevin Wise, a 44-year-old freelancer from Bedworth, Warwickshire, who has been sentenced for possessing a large collection of indecent images of children. Wise worked as a photographer for the Miss England beauty pageant and was involved in coverage for the Miss Universe GB contest this year. Despite not being directly employed by Miss England Ltd, he covered finals and heats. Wise admitted to making 908 topless images over a span of 15 years. He was sentenced to 19 weeks in jail by Coventry magistrates. It is emphasized that there is no suggestion that his victims—who were all under 16—were contestants at the events, but some participants have spoken about concerns. Katrina Hodge, Miss England 2009, revealed that Wise had become obsessed with certain contestants and that several girls had complained to her, prompting the organizers to dismiss him in 2017. Wise's disturbing collection of images includes hundreds of indecent images, though it is understood he was not caught with any images directly related to his role at the pageants. The case highlights ongoing concerns about grooming and exploitation in the context of beauty pageants and similar events.