2004: MAN JAILED FOR COMPUTER PORN
A man from Stratford who previously lost his home, fiancée, and employment following his arrest for downloading child pornography has now been sentenced to prison.Mark Burden, 26 years old and residing on Shakespeare Street, received a five-month sentence at Warwick Crown Court on Friday.
Burden, who admitted to 21 charges related to producing indecent images of minors, was also mandated to register as a sex offender for a duration of seven years upon his release.
According to prosecution lawyer Louise Pierpoint, Burden's apprehension was part of an investigation conducted by the National High-Tech Crime Unit.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Burden’s parents’ residence on Queen Street in Cubbington in October, where they examined a bedroom previously occupied by him.
During the search, they discovered a computer disc containing numerous indecent images of children.
Subsequently, police obtained Burden’s residence in Stratford and confiscated his computer, which also contained multiple indecent images on its hard drive.
Mrs.
Pierpoint explained that among the 21 images charged, 14 fell into the 'level one' category, depicting girls aged five to 14 in partial or full nudity.
Other images depicted sexual acts involving children, and three showed adults sexually abusing children.
Additionally, there was a video clip featuring a boy and a dog, classified under 'level five', the most severe category, which includes acts of sadism or bestiality.
Burden, who had no prior convictions, admitted during police questioning that he downloaded and copied some of the images onto a computer disc.
Defence lawyer John Maxwell argued that the court could consider a non-custodial sentence, highlighting the significant personal consequences Burden had faced.
He noted that the case had received extensive media coverage, which led to Burden losing his contract as a self-employed electrician working on a single project, as well as his fiancée and his accommodation.
His landlord, affected by the publicity, chose to evict him.
Maxwell added that Burden’s mother, a lifelong resident of Cubbington, and her husband, were so embarrassed by the case that they contemplated relocating.
However, Judge James Pyke sentenced Burden to jail and remarked: “You downloaded pornographic material involving children.
Those who create a demand for such content must bear responsibility for the horrific abuse and exploitation that produce this material.”
