SOUTH SHIELDS MAN KIERAN WHITUP CAUGHT WITH 10,000 INDECENT IMAGES OF GIRLS
| Red Rose Database
South Shields Child Sexual Abuser
In June 2015, a disturbing case emerged involving Kieran Whitup, a resident of South Shields, who was found to have accumulated an alarming collection of indecent images depicting young girls. The police investigation revealed that Whitup had stored approximately 10,000 such images on his home computer, a discovery that shocked the local community and drew significant attention from law enforcement authorities.
According to court proceedings at Newcastle Crown Court, the images primarily consisted of photographs of schoolgirls aged between 10 and 14. These images were described as being of a highly explicit nature, with some photographs appearing to be professionally taken studio shots. The police found a collection of these images stored on the hard drive of Whitup’s computer, which was described as containing a digital magazine format of the illicit material.
During initial police interviews, Whitup, who resides in the Laygate area of South Shields, claimed ignorance regarding the existence of these images. He asserted that the hard drive, which contained the illicit photographs, had been either purchased on eBay or found discarded in a skip. At the time, Whitup was 40 years old and was receiving disability benefits. Despite his initial denial, he later admitted to possessing indecent photographs, acknowledging that these images had been downloaded between February 2005 and November 2010.
Further investigations by the police revealed that Whitup had not accessed or viewed the images since 2010, suggesting a period of at least five years during which he refrained from engaging with the material. This detail was considered during sentencing, as it indicated a potential change in behavior or attitude towards the images.
Judge Paul Sloan QC presided over the case and ultimately sentenced Whitup to three months in prison, though the sentence was suspended for 18 months. Additionally, Whitup was subjected to a one-month night-time curfew and supervision requirements. The judge explained that the prison term could be suspended due to Whitup’s previous good character, his guilty plea, and personal circumstances, including physical and mental health issues.
Judge Sloan emphasized the severity of the images, stating, “The vast majority of the images were girls aged between 10 and 14, described as professionally taken studio photographs of girls, either naked or semi-naked, adopting erotic poses.” He also noted that the last time Whitup accessed any of the images was in 2010, which was a mitigating factor in the case.
As part of his sentence, Whitup will be required to sign the sex offenders register for a period of seven years. He will also be subject to a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order, both of which will remain in effect for ten years. Caroline Goodwin, representing Whitup, stated that her client understood the damage caused by possessing such photographs and expressed remorse for his actions.
According to court proceedings at Newcastle Crown Court, the images primarily consisted of photographs of schoolgirls aged between 10 and 14. These images were described as being of a highly explicit nature, with some photographs appearing to be professionally taken studio shots. The police found a collection of these images stored on the hard drive of Whitup’s computer, which was described as containing a digital magazine format of the illicit material.
During initial police interviews, Whitup, who resides in the Laygate area of South Shields, claimed ignorance regarding the existence of these images. He asserted that the hard drive, which contained the illicit photographs, had been either purchased on eBay or found discarded in a skip. At the time, Whitup was 40 years old and was receiving disability benefits. Despite his initial denial, he later admitted to possessing indecent photographs, acknowledging that these images had been downloaded between February 2005 and November 2010.
Further investigations by the police revealed that Whitup had not accessed or viewed the images since 2010, suggesting a period of at least five years during which he refrained from engaging with the material. This detail was considered during sentencing, as it indicated a potential change in behavior or attitude towards the images.
Judge Paul Sloan QC presided over the case and ultimately sentenced Whitup to three months in prison, though the sentence was suspended for 18 months. Additionally, Whitup was subjected to a one-month night-time curfew and supervision requirements. The judge explained that the prison term could be suspended due to Whitup’s previous good character, his guilty plea, and personal circumstances, including physical and mental health issues.
Judge Sloan emphasized the severity of the images, stating, “The vast majority of the images were girls aged between 10 and 14, described as professionally taken studio photographs of girls, either naked or semi-naked, adopting erotic poses.” He also noted that the last time Whitup accessed any of the images was in 2010, which was a mitigating factor in the case.
As part of his sentence, Whitup will be required to sign the sex offenders register for a period of seven years. He will also be subject to a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order, both of which will remain in effect for ten years. Caroline Goodwin, representing Whitup, stated that her client understood the damage caused by possessing such photographs and expressed remorse for his actions.