FARNWORTH PSYCHIATRIC NURSE MARTYN ALCOCK JAILED FOR NEARLY 1,000 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Farnworth, Martyn Alcock, a 53-year-old psychiatric nurse, has been sentenced to prison after being found in possession of an alarming number of indecent images of children. The incident came to light during a police investigation that uncovered the extent of Alcock’s illicit activities, revealing a deeply troubling pattern of behavior.

Bolton Crown Court heard that the investigation was initiated after authorities discovered Alcock’s involvement in sharing these disturbing images online. A detective involved in the case described one particular image found on Alcock’s computer as the most disturbing she had encountered in her career. The police found that Alcock had amassed a total of 978 indecent images of children, which included 46 images classified at level five — indicating the most severe form of abuse — and 232 images at level four, which also depict serious exploitation.

The court was informed that Alcock had made these images and videos available for distribution via a file-sharing website. He used the pseudonym “DaddyMart1959” to upload and share the illicit content, raising concerns about the potential reach and impact of his actions. The police executed a raid on Alcock’s residence on Lupin Avenue in Farnworth on May 2 of the previous year. During the search, Alcock cooperated with officers, acknowledging that the images could be found on a computer located upstairs in his home.

At his first appearance before the magistrates, Alcock admitted to the charges against him. The court proceedings revealed that the children depicted in the images ranged in age from toddlers to 12 years old, with the majority being between nine and 12 years old. The images included both boys and girls, although most of the photographs and videos featured boys. The disturbing nature of the material was emphasized by the prosecutor, Roger Brown, who detailed the severity of the abuse depicted.

Alcock’s defense lawyer, Nicola Gatto, provided insight into his background, stating that he had worked successfully as a psychiatric nurse on an adolescent ward for 18 years prior to his arrest. She explained that Alcock had been living with his mother, who passed away last year, an event that had a profound impact on him. Since her death, Alcock’s social interactions had become limited, and he had increasingly turned to the internet out of loneliness and isolation.

Ms. Gatto emphasized that Alcock’s family, including his three older sisters, remained supportive of him and described him as a gentle, caring, and kind individual. She expressed concern over his interest in children, labeling it as “worrying,” but argued that incarceration would not address his underlying issues. Instead, she suggested that a community-based program tailored for sex offenders might be more appropriate for his rehabilitation.

It was noted that Alcock had no previous criminal convictions. Nonetheless, he pleaded guilty to 22 counts of possessing indecent images, two counts of possessing prohibited images, and three counts involving extreme images of animals. The court, presided over by Recorder Suzanne Goddard QC, sentenced Alcock to 16 months in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next ten years and to adhere to a sexual offenders’ prevention order, which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with children. The case has left a lasting impact on the community of Farnworth, highlighting the importance of vigilance and the ongoing need to protect vulnerable children from exploitation.