MARK ROOKS FROM LOUTH JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES DISCOVERED THROUGH CHARITY SHOP DONATION

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Louth, a former Royal Air Force (RAF) officer named Mark Rooks has been sentenced to prison after being found in possession of a vast collection of child abuse images. The case came to light when an unsuspecting customer purchased a bundle of nine DVDs for just one pound from a charity shop in Lincoln. Among these discs, the buyer discovered something deeply disturbing that ultimately led to Rooks's arrest and conviction.

The DVDs had been donated by Rooks's wife, who was unaware of the sinister content stored on the discs. When the customer inserted one of the DVDs into his computer, he was horrified to find that it contained not only the defendant’s passport details but also a significant amount of adult pornography. Further inspection of the other discs revealed even more troubling material, including images of child abuse. Shocked by the discovery, the customer promptly contacted the police to report what he had found.

Law enforcement officials quickly traced the DVD back to Rooks, whose identity was confirmed through the passport details embedded on the disc. This connection prompted a police raid on Rooks’s residence in Eastfield Road, Louth. During the search, officers uncovered a disturbing collection of thousands of child abuse images stored on a USB stick. Rooks, a Gulf War veteran who served as a bomb disposal officer in the RAF, admitted to viewing such images over a period of ten years, from January 2008 to July 2013.

He confessed to possessing a total of 13,969 indecent images of children. Additionally, Rooks faced charges related to downloading indecent images from the internet, with five separate counts of making such images. His actions and possession of these materials led to his conviction and subsequent sentencing. Rooks was sentenced to eight months in prison by Judge Sean Morris, who described the images as horrific, emphasizing that some involved extremely young children.

During the court proceedings, Rooks’s defense attorney, Alex Rynn, highlighted the personal toll of his actions, stating that Rooks had lost his job and his wife, who was in the process of filing for divorce and was seeking legal advice. The case has not only brought to light the disturbing nature of Rooks’s activities but also raised concerns about the potential risks posed by individuals with military backgrounds who commit such offenses. The community of Louth and the wider public are left to grapple with the implications of this case, which underscores the importance of vigilance and thorough investigation in uncovering hidden crimes.