MARTYN FISH FROM BOURNEMOUTH SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES DISCOVERED AT BETHIA ROAD HOME

In March 2010, a disturbing case emerged involving Martyn Fish, a 22-year-old student specializing in child care at Bournemouth University. The incident came to light when Fish’s housemates discovered inappropriate and illegal images on his personal laptop at his residence on Bethia Road, Bournemouth. The images included photographs and videos depicting children as young as two years old being subjected to abuse by both men and women. Among these, five videos and three photographs were classified at level four, indicating a high severity of abuse.

Upon confronting Fish about the material, his housemates reported that he admitted, “I had to see it for myself. It’s a morbid fascination,” revealing a troubling attitude towards the images. The housemates promptly took the laptop to the police, leading to Fish’s arrest the following day. The police investigation uncovered that Fish had been in possession of these illicit images during 2008, which he had accessed while studying at Bournemouth University.

During the court proceedings at Bournemouth Crown Court, prosecutor Stuart Ellacott detailed that Fish’s behavior during his studies was marked by a lack of motivation and interest. He was described as mostly using his laptop for gaming rather than academic pursuits. Despite this, Fish had been offered a position at a nursery in Kinson after completing his studies, a fact that added to the concern about his potential future interactions with children.

Fish, who now resides on Saxonhurst Road in Bournemouth, told police that he had come across the images accidentally while researching coursework. He insisted that he did not derive any sexual gratification from viewing the material. Nonetheless, he pleaded guilty to eight charges of making indecent photographs of a child, which he committed during 2008.

Probation officers assessed Fish as presenting a “high risk” of causing harm to children in the future, raising significant concerns about his potential threat to the community. His defense lawyer, Nicholas Robinson, argued that Fish had only viewed the images once and might have forgotten about the incident altogether.

In sentencing, Recorder Frank Abbott ordered Fish to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for five years. Additionally, he was subjected to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for seven years, which prohibits him from living or working with individuals under 16, using the internet except for work-related purposes, and owning a computer. Fish was also mandated to participate in the Thames Valley Police Sex Offenders programme and to adhere to a supervision requirement for three years, emphasizing the seriousness of his offenses and the need for ongoing monitoring.