MARTIN FISHER FROM WHITSTABLE SHOCKS COURT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN MAJOR CRIME CASE

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Whitstable, Martin Fisher, a man with a history of public service and former Sheriff of Canterbury, has been at the center of a series of criminal proceedings related to the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. The case has revealed a troubling pattern of behavior, with Fisher repeatedly breaching court orders and attempting to conceal his illegal activities.

Fisher, aged 64 and residing on Queen's Road in Whitstable, was initially sentenced in May 2014 to 28 months in prison after admitting to breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and possessing indecent images of children as young as two. The court heard that Fisher had been caught on multiple occasions during unannounced police visits to his residence, with illegal images found on his computer. Despite being under strict restrictions that prohibited him from using the internet without police oversight, Fisher was found deleting his browsing history and attempting to hide his activities.

The court was informed that Fisher, who had previously run a home insurance underwriting business, claimed that his interest in the images was purely aesthetic or artistic. He argued that he did not have a sexual interest in the children depicted. However, he later acknowledged that he had a problem and voluntarily sought psychotherapy to address what he called a 'porn addiction.' Despite these efforts, his behavior persisted, leading to his re-arrest and subsequent jail sentence.

Legal representatives for Fisher argued that his punishment was excessively harsh, citing his attempts at reform, the relatively small number of images involved, and the lower level of obscenity in the images. The appeal court, comprising Lord Justice Aikens, Mr Justice Hickinbottom, and Mr Justice Lindblom, convened in London to review his case. They concluded that Fisher's original sentence was too severe and, in a significant ruling, reduced his imprisonment term to 18 months. The judges emphasized the importance of recognizing the real harm caused by child pornography, noting that the images in Fisher's possession were mostly of children not engaged in sexual activity, which influenced their decision to lessen the sentence.

Fisher's criminal history includes a 2011 conviction for sexually assaulting a child and downloading illegal images. At that time, he was also ordered to submit to regular police checks on his computer for ten years. Despite this, he was found to have repeatedly violated these restrictions, with police discovering illicit images on his devices during unannounced visits in 2013 and 2014. On each occasion, Fisher attempted to cover his tracks by deleting his internet history, but investigators uncovered a total of 51 illegal images across multiple devices.

During police interviews, Fisher initially claimed that his interest in the images was artistic, comparing himself to Picasso. He insisted that he did not view the images as sexual but acknowledged that he had a problem and sought therapy. His defense team argued for a non-custodial sentence, highlighting his efforts to reform and the relatively low level of obscenity involved. Nonetheless, the court found his actions deeply troubling, given the nature of the images and his blatant disregard for court orders.

Fisher's case underscores the ongoing challenge of monitoring and prosecuting individuals involved in child exploitation crimes. His repeated breaches and attempts to conceal his activities demonstrate the persistent threat posed by such offenders, even after initial convictions and court restrictions. The community of Whitstable and the wider Canterbury area remains vigilant as authorities continue to pursue justice and prevent further harm caused by individuals like Martin Fisher.