MARK KENNARD SWADLINCOTE PAEDOPHILE JAILED OVER DEVICES AND CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

In July 2020, a disturbing case emerged involving Mark Kennard, a convicted sex offender from Swadlincote, who was found to be in serious breach of his legal obligations and was subsequently sentenced to prison. Kennard, aged 56, had previously been convicted of possessing a large collection of child abuse images and sharing them with other offenders, which led to a court-imposed suspended sentence in November 2018.

Despite the court’s clear directives, Kennard failed to fully disclose the extent of his electronic devices capable of internet access. He was required to inform police about any such devices under a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) issued as part of his punishment. However, during visits by his offender manager in 2020, authorities discovered that Kennard possessed at least 29 electronic devices capable of logging into the internet, without prior notification. These devices included smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets, which he had kept hidden from authorities.

Analysis of one of these devices revealed that it had been used to access websites where illegal images could be obtained. This discovery raised serious concerns among his supervising officers, who expressed fears that Kennard’s attraction to children remained unaddressed and that he was not making sufficient efforts to tackle the underlying causes of his offending behavior. The authorities’ concerns were compounded by the fact that Kennard had been found with such devices on four separate occasions in 2020, specifically in January and June, despite his legal obligations.

On the most recent occasion, police found an iPad at his residence on June 25. Kennard’s brother, with whom he resides on Clifton Close, claimed the device belonged to him and that Kennard was permitted to use it. However, police investigations into the device’s iCloud account revealed that someone had been viewing pornographic dating sites, indicating that Kennard had been accessing inappropriate material. This breach of his SHPO led to his guilty plea on four counts of violating the order.

Judge Shaun Smith QC sentenced Kennard to 21 months in prison, emphasizing the gravity of his breaches and his attitude towards his rehabilitation. The judge expressed concern over Kennard’s apparent attempts to deceive his supervising officers and his failure to engage meaningfully with treatment programs designed to address his sexual attraction to children. The judge stated, “What is more concerning for me is your attitude towards your suspended sentence order. I have heard from those who supervise you who tell me they think you are trying to con them by lying to them about your involvement in the treatment programs they are providing for you. They are extremely concerned about your sexual attraction to children and you are not doing anything to address it. You are being deceptive to your offender manager.”

Prior to these breaches, Kennard had a long history of offending. In November 2018, he admitted to making more than 400 indecent images and movies of a child, including 93 Category A images, 94 Category B images, and 329 Category C images, all produced in Swadlincote between 2009 and 2017. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited image of a child in 2017 and distributing a Category B indecent movie of children in November 2016. At that time, he was sentenced to a 12-month jail term, suspended for 24 months, and was placed under a 10-year SHPO, with a court order to pay £1,000 in costs.

Kennard’s case highlights ongoing concerns about the management and monitoring of convicted sex offenders, especially those with a history of accessing and sharing child abuse material. His failure to comply with court orders and the discovery of new illegal material underscore the importance of rigorous supervision and enforcement to protect the community from potential reoffending.