EXETER PAEDOPHILE MARTIN HATCHER SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC CHILD PORN CASE
| Red Rose Database
Exeter Child Sexual Abuser
In a chilling case that has shocked the city of Exeter, Martin Hatcher, a 46-year-old man, has been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of possessing an extensive collection of child pornography and engaging in disturbing voyeuristic activities. The case, heard at Exeter Crown Court, revealed the horrifying extent of Hatcher's crimes, which included storing over 250,000 indecent images of children on his personal computer and attempting to spy on young children in his neighborhood.
Judge Phillip Wassall, presiding over the case, described the material found at Hatcher’s residence as “vile and depraved,” and stated that, in his over 30 years of experience within the criminal justice system, this was the worst case of its kind he had encountered. The judge emphasized the severity of the images, which ranged from low-level indecent photographs to the most extreme categories, and expressed concern over the potential danger Hatcher posed to children. Despite the gravity of the crimes, the judge noted that sentencing guidelines limited his ability to impose a longer sentence, and Hatcher would serve only half of the three-year term before being released.
Police investigations uncovered approximately 300,000 images on Hatcher’s computer, with around 90 percent being indecent photographs of children. Additionally, thousands of downloaded videos depicting minors were found. The authorities also discovered two pairs of binoculars in Hatcher’s home, which he used to spy on children, as his residence overlooked a primary school in Exeter. Although he took photographs of children playing near the school, these images were not included in the charges against him.
Hatcher’s criminal activities extended beyond digital material. The police found three homemade mannequins dressed in children’s clothing, along with newspaper cuttings about paedophile cases and disturbing stories he had written or downloaded about children. His collection also included books about notorious serial killers Fred and Rose West, as well as children’s clothes and underwear. Further disturbing evidence revealed that Hatcher had taken photographs of children in Exeter and manipulated these images by adding his own to create pseudo-images of abuse.
At the time of his arrest, Hatcher was employed as a biomedical scientist for the NHS in Exeter, a position he has since resigned from. He had no prior convictions and was known to have been involved in voluntary activities, such as teaching a child how to use computers. Between 1997 and 2007, he admitted to making 26 indecent photographs of children, with images graded from the lowest level to the most severe categories, levels four and five.
The police raid on Hatcher’s home in October of the previous year was prompted by an American investigation that revealed Hatcher had been paying to access a paedophile website. During the search, officers discovered images of babies and young girls, with Hatcher’s preference clearly for underage females. Prosecutor Terry Holder highlighted the disturbing nature of the material seized, which included images of children in various states of undress and abuse.
Defense lawyer Stephen Nunn argued that Hatcher had never directly harmed any children himself and had cooperated fully with law enforcement. He described Hatcher as a reclusive individual who led a lonely life, working in a laboratory and living alone with three computers. Nunn emphasized that Hatcher was not proud of his actions and was beginning to understand how repugnant they were to society.
As part of his sentence, Hatcher was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was banned from many activities, including contacting any child under 16 without adult supervision and accessing child-related websites or chatrooms. Authorities will also have the right to monitor his home and computer use at designated times to prevent further offenses.
A neighbor, unable to attend the sentencing, expressed her disgust, stating, “Nobody likes having someone like this living near them. We got a letter through the door and a copy of the Echo, asking for people to write letters for him not to live there if he gets out. There are lots of families living with kids in our streets and I wouldn’t want him there.”
Detective Constable Glenn Boniface, who led the investigation, described the case as the largest of its kind he had encountered in Exeter. He welcomed the jail sentence, asserting, “This sends a message to anyone considering looking at internet child porn that we will catch them.”
Judge Phillip Wassall, presiding over the case, described the material found at Hatcher’s residence as “vile and depraved,” and stated that, in his over 30 years of experience within the criminal justice system, this was the worst case of its kind he had encountered. The judge emphasized the severity of the images, which ranged from low-level indecent photographs to the most extreme categories, and expressed concern over the potential danger Hatcher posed to children. Despite the gravity of the crimes, the judge noted that sentencing guidelines limited his ability to impose a longer sentence, and Hatcher would serve only half of the three-year term before being released.
Police investigations uncovered approximately 300,000 images on Hatcher’s computer, with around 90 percent being indecent photographs of children. Additionally, thousands of downloaded videos depicting minors were found. The authorities also discovered two pairs of binoculars in Hatcher’s home, which he used to spy on children, as his residence overlooked a primary school in Exeter. Although he took photographs of children playing near the school, these images were not included in the charges against him.
Hatcher’s criminal activities extended beyond digital material. The police found three homemade mannequins dressed in children’s clothing, along with newspaper cuttings about paedophile cases and disturbing stories he had written or downloaded about children. His collection also included books about notorious serial killers Fred and Rose West, as well as children’s clothes and underwear. Further disturbing evidence revealed that Hatcher had taken photographs of children in Exeter and manipulated these images by adding his own to create pseudo-images of abuse.
At the time of his arrest, Hatcher was employed as a biomedical scientist for the NHS in Exeter, a position he has since resigned from. He had no prior convictions and was known to have been involved in voluntary activities, such as teaching a child how to use computers. Between 1997 and 2007, he admitted to making 26 indecent photographs of children, with images graded from the lowest level to the most severe categories, levels four and five.
The police raid on Hatcher’s home in October of the previous year was prompted by an American investigation that revealed Hatcher had been paying to access a paedophile website. During the search, officers discovered images of babies and young girls, with Hatcher’s preference clearly for underage females. Prosecutor Terry Holder highlighted the disturbing nature of the material seized, which included images of children in various states of undress and abuse.
Defense lawyer Stephen Nunn argued that Hatcher had never directly harmed any children himself and had cooperated fully with law enforcement. He described Hatcher as a reclusive individual who led a lonely life, working in a laboratory and living alone with three computers. Nunn emphasized that Hatcher was not proud of his actions and was beginning to understand how repugnant they were to society.
As part of his sentence, Hatcher was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was banned from many activities, including contacting any child under 16 without adult supervision and accessing child-related websites or chatrooms. Authorities will also have the right to monitor his home and computer use at designated times to prevent further offenses.
A neighbor, unable to attend the sentencing, expressed her disgust, stating, “Nobody likes having someone like this living near them. We got a letter through the door and a copy of the Echo, asking for people to write letters for him not to live there if he gets out. There are lots of families living with kids in our streets and I wouldn’t want him there.”
Detective Constable Glenn Boniface, who led the investigation, described the case as the largest of its kind he had encountered in Exeter. He welcomed the jail sentence, asserting, “This sends a message to anyone considering looking at internet child porn that we will catch them.”