MARK PROUD, PAUL KIRBY, AND DAVID BURGESS SHAMED AS CHILD ABUSE IMAGE DISTRIBUTORS IN STOCKPORT

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community in Stockport, three bus drivers have been publicly identified and convicted for their involvement in sharing and possessing a vast collection of child abuse images. The individuals involved—Mark Proud, aged 44, Paul Kirby, aged 56, and David Burgess, aged 51—were arrested following a police investigation that uncovered their disturbing activities within their workplace environment.

Authorities discovered that over 5,000 illicit images and videos depicting child abuse had been circulated among the employees at their depot. The material included some of the most severe categories of abuse, with certain images classified as Category A, which involved children as young as two being raped and engaged in acts of bestiality. The extent of the material was so grave that it prompted a thorough investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.

All three men maintained their innocence, asserting that they were not part of any paedophile ring and that they did not have a sexual interest in children. However, their claims were dismissed by the presiding judge at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, who found sufficient evidence to convict them. Despite the severity of their crimes, they were sentenced to eight months in jail, suspended for two years, meaning they would not serve time unless they reoffended within that period. Additionally, they were subjected to Sexual Harm Prevention Orders for ten years, which prohibit them from working with children or in roles that involve contact with minors.

Following their convictions, all three men lost their employment with an unnamed bus company, reflecting the serious repercussions of their actions. The investigation into their activities began in 2018 after police traced Paul Kirby following a tip-off that he was viewing indecent images online. This initial lead prompted a detailed search of devices and digital storage media.

Prosecutor Rosemary Kavanagh provided detailed insights into the evidence collected. She explained that the images linked to Kirby were examined by both him and Proud, with Kirby mentioning Burgess during the investigation, which led to Burgess’s involvement being uncovered. Multiple devices were seized, including computers, mobile phones, and USB sticks, all containing a disturbing array of illicit material.

Specifically, police seized a video tower computer from Burgess that contained two Category A images, two Category B images, and 1,847 Category C images. A mobile phone confiscated from him held 2,443 Category C images, many of which depicted primary school-aged girls. Proud’s devices included a Samsung mobile phone with four Category A images, two Category A videos, and five Category B images, all of prepubescent children. Searches on Proud’s device also included the term “Preteen Lolly,” indicating intent or interest in young children.

Kirby’s devices revealed even more disturbing content. A Lenovo laptop contained 353 Category C images, 11 Category A videos, two Category C videos, and 30 extreme pornographic images and videos, some copied from a USB stick seized during the investigation. His mobile phone also held 40 Category A images, three Category A videos, eight Category B images, and ten Category C images, some depicting sexual acts involving animals and children as young as two or three years old. The images included children aged between 2 and 4, as well as those aged 12 to 14.

The USB stick, which contained a total of 5,126 images and nine indecent videos, was a focal point of the investigation. Kirby admitted that he had been involved with Proud after sending indecent images via WhatsApp. The police found that Burgess had searched for such images, and Proud had requested them. Kirby also acknowledged that he was given the USB stick by Proud and transferred the images onto a larger-capacity USB device. The evidence suggested a process of file sharing among the three men, although prosecutors clarified that this was not a fully organized paedophile ring but rather a group with a shared interest in illicit material.

In court, Burgess, of St Johns Close, Romiley, Stockport, pleaded guilty to making and distributing indecent images between July and November 2017. He was sentenced to complete 260 hours of unpaid work. Proud, of Avon Bank, Bredbury, Stockport, also admitted to making indecent images and was ordered to undertake 280 hours of unpaid community service. Kirby, from Market Street, Chapel en le Frith, Derbyshire, admitted to making indecent images and possessing an extreme pornographic image; he was sentenced to 250 hours of unpaid work. The sentences reflect the gravity of their offenses and the ongoing efforts to combat child exploitation and abuse.