HERON CROSS STUDENT MATTHEW GORDON CAUGHT WITH CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN STOKE-ON-TRENT
| Red Rose Database
Heron Cross Child Sexual Abuser
In July 2017, a serious and disturbing case emerged involving Matthew Gordon, a young man from Heron Cross, who was found to have been involved in the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. The case was brought to light after police executed a search warrant at his residence, leading to the seizure of his mobile phone and various computer equipment. Authorities discovered that Gordon, aged 22, had stored a significant number of illegal images on his device, which included photographs of young girls as young as four, with most images depicting children between the ages of six and ten.
Matthew Gordon was a student studying for a degree in business management at the time of his arrest. His arrest followed a police raid at his home on September 1 of the previous year. During the investigation, Gordon admitted to setting up social media accounts under the alias 'Jessica,' claiming he did so to communicate with straight men online. He explained to police that he had been sent the indecent images by others while pretending to be a teenage girl, and he initially believed he was engaging in online conversations with other men.
Gordon further claimed that he decided to become what he called a 'paedophile hunter,' sending the images to men he interacted with in an attempt to 'catch them out.' However, he admitted that he never actually reported any of these individuals to the authorities. Prosecutor David Bennett outlined that during his police interview, Gordon explained his motives and actions. He stated that he liked to converse with straight men via the internet and had set up multiple social media accounts under the false identity of Jessica. Although he identified as gay but not openly, he said that during these online exchanges, others began sending him indecent images of children, which he did not realize were automatically saved to his phone.
Gordon also told police that he had watched a television programme about vigilantes and believed that by sending these images, he was trying to catch out potential offenders. He estimated that he had sent images to no more than three individuals. Despite his claims of attempting to expose others, he acknowledged that he had not reported any of these encounters to the police. He insisted that he was not sexually attracted to children, and his actions were motivated by a misguided attempt at vigilantism.
In court, it was revealed that Gordon possessed a total of 61 indecent images of children, which constituted three separate charges of possession and distribution. The evidence against him was primarily based on his police interview, where he admitted to these offences. The court also heard that Gordon had no previous criminal record and was a university student at the time of his arrest.
Mitigation was presented by Stuart Muldoon, who explained that Gordon was experiencing significant struggles with his sexuality during the period of offending. Muldoon described Gordon's online persona as a form of escapism, suggesting that he was living a fantasy life. He argued that Gordon believed he was doing some good by attempting to catch offenders, although he did not fully grasp the severity of his own actions. Muldoon emphasized that Gordon posed a very low risk of reoffending.
Judge David Fletcher sentenced Gordon to a 12-month community order, which included a 21-day rehabilitation activity requirement and the completion of 140 hours of unpaid work. The judge also issued a stern warning, stating, "You have single-handedly set out to wreck your life as a result of this behaviour. Don’t feel sorry for yourself. You have brought this on yourself and your family." The case highlights the serious nature of possessing and distributing indecent images of children, and the importance of law enforcement in tackling such offences in Stoke-on-Trent and beyond.
Matthew Gordon was a student studying for a degree in business management at the time of his arrest. His arrest followed a police raid at his home on September 1 of the previous year. During the investigation, Gordon admitted to setting up social media accounts under the alias 'Jessica,' claiming he did so to communicate with straight men online. He explained to police that he had been sent the indecent images by others while pretending to be a teenage girl, and he initially believed he was engaging in online conversations with other men.
Gordon further claimed that he decided to become what he called a 'paedophile hunter,' sending the images to men he interacted with in an attempt to 'catch them out.' However, he admitted that he never actually reported any of these individuals to the authorities. Prosecutor David Bennett outlined that during his police interview, Gordon explained his motives and actions. He stated that he liked to converse with straight men via the internet and had set up multiple social media accounts under the false identity of Jessica. Although he identified as gay but not openly, he said that during these online exchanges, others began sending him indecent images of children, which he did not realize were automatically saved to his phone.
Gordon also told police that he had watched a television programme about vigilantes and believed that by sending these images, he was trying to catch out potential offenders. He estimated that he had sent images to no more than three individuals. Despite his claims of attempting to expose others, he acknowledged that he had not reported any of these encounters to the police. He insisted that he was not sexually attracted to children, and his actions were motivated by a misguided attempt at vigilantism.
In court, it was revealed that Gordon possessed a total of 61 indecent images of children, which constituted three separate charges of possession and distribution. The evidence against him was primarily based on his police interview, where he admitted to these offences. The court also heard that Gordon had no previous criminal record and was a university student at the time of his arrest.
Mitigation was presented by Stuart Muldoon, who explained that Gordon was experiencing significant struggles with his sexuality during the period of offending. Muldoon described Gordon's online persona as a form of escapism, suggesting that he was living a fantasy life. He argued that Gordon believed he was doing some good by attempting to catch offenders, although he did not fully grasp the severity of his own actions. Muldoon emphasized that Gordon posed a very low risk of reoffending.
Judge David Fletcher sentenced Gordon to a 12-month community order, which included a 21-day rehabilitation activity requirement and the completion of 140 hours of unpaid work. The judge also issued a stern warning, stating, "You have single-handedly set out to wreck your life as a result of this behaviour. Don’t feel sorry for yourself. You have brought this on yourself and your family." The case highlights the serious nature of possessing and distributing indecent images of children, and the importance of law enforcement in tackling such offences in Stoke-on-Trent and beyond.