MARK DAWKINS LEICESTER NURSE CAUGHT WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND BESTIALITY FILMS IN LEICESTER

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Leicester community, former psychiatric nurse Mark Dawkins was found in possession of an extensive collection of illegal and highly disturbing images and videos, including child pornography and a film depicting bestiality. Despite the gravity of his offenses, Dawkins narrowly avoided immediate imprisonment, receiving a suspended sentence from Leicester Crown Court.

According to court reports, Dawkins was apprehended in March of the previous year during a police raid at a health centre in Leicester where he was employed. Authorities also conducted a search of his then residence within the city, uncovering a significant cache of illicit material stored on his computer. Prosecutor Alan Murphy detailed the findings, revealing that Dawkins admitted to encountering child pornography approximately ten years earlier while searching for adult content. He expressed an interest specifically in images of teenage girls.

During police interviews, Dawkins claimed that most of the images he viewed were classified as level one or level two, which are considered the least severe categories of child exploitation material. However, he acknowledged having seen images across all levels of severity. The police also discovered two films on his computer, one of which involved explicit sexual activity involving a woman and a horse, classified as extreme pornography. Dawkins admitted to knowing that possessing such material was wrong but rationalized that because it was stored digitally on his computer, it did not feel as real or serious.

The court was informed that the collection included a staggering 4,276 images at level one, depicting girls aged between five and fifteen. Additionally, there was at least one image at level four, which is considered highly severe, along with 21 examples of extreme pornography. The most disturbing of these was a film showing sexual activity involving a woman and a horse, highlighting the disturbing nature of Dawkins' collection. When questioned about the bestiality film, Dawkins stated he did not understand why he had saved it, indicating a troubling lack of remorse or understanding of the severity of his actions.

Further investigations confirmed that Dawkins was the sole individual with access to these illicit files. The 40-year-old, who previously worked at The Towers Hospital in Leicester, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of making indecent images of children and two counts of possessing extreme pornography, which involved a total of 21 explicit images of sexual acts with live animals. These offenses spanned from January 2009 to March 2010.

During mitigation, Sarah Porter, representing Dawkins, explained that his career as a psychiatric nurse had been effectively destroyed by his conviction. She emphasized that Dawkins was addicted to the behaviors that led him to court but also expressed a surprising note of relief that he had been caught. Porter highlighted that Dawkins, who had no prior criminal record, was now living in High Street, Earl Shilton.

Judge Charles Wide QC delivered the sentence, emphasizing the disturbing nature of the case. He pointed out that the sheer volume of images, coupled with the presence of a revolting film involving a young child and numerous extreme images, pushed the case well beyond the threshold for custody. The judge acknowledged the public's justified concern if Dawkins were to avoid prison but also recognized that Dawkins had shown remorse, pleaded guilty, and had already suffered significant personal and professional consequences.

Ultimately, Dawkins was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also subjected to two years of supervised probation, required to participate in a sexual offender treatment program, and was banned indefinitely from working with children. Additionally, he was issued a sexual offences prevention order that restricts his use of computers for an indefinite period, aiming to prevent further offenses and protect the community from potential harm.