MATTHEW LAIDLER AND SHOCKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN MIDDLESBROUGH
A man with a troubling criminal history is facing his third prison term after authorities uncovered an illegal image of a young girl on his mobile device.Matthew Laidler, a resident of Middlesbrough, was found to be in possession of indecent material involving a child, prompting serious legal consequences.
On October 8, during an unannounced visit to Laidler’s home in Middlesbrough, his offender manager observed him appearing visibly nervous and repeatedly tapping on his mobile phone.
This visit occurred just five days after Laidler had been released from a 29-month incarceration, raising immediate concerns about his compliance with the terms of his release.
The court proceedings at Teesside Crown Court revealed that Laidler, aged 33, initially claimed that he was merely texting his grandmother.
However, police investigations uncovered that he had been sent an indecent image of a baby girl.
When questioned, Laidler responded to the sender with a message saying, "Hi bud.
Beautiful.
I've nothing to send back to you at the moment," before making an explicit sexual comment about the child.
This exchange highlighted his involvement in sharing and viewing illegal content.
Further investigation revealed that Laidler had downloaded encrypted messaging applications such as Wickr and Mega, which are known for their ability to send messages with end-to-end encryption, making it difficult for authorities to trace communications.
Despite giving his address as HMP Durham, Laidler is originally from Linthorpe in Middlesbrough.
Laidler pleaded guilty to charges of possessing an indecent image of a child and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements.
His criminal record includes a conviction for the sexual assault of a child in 2006, and he was first jailed in 2015 for possessing indecent images of children.
His history of offending underscores a pattern of concerning behavior.
In April 2022, Laidler was sentenced to an additional 29 months in prison after it was revealed that he had been babysitting young girls, sleeping over at their homes, and giving one of them baths—activities that were explicitly prohibited by the conditions of his license.
These restrictions were put in place to prevent him from having any contact with children.
Following his latest offense, Laidler was recalled to prison to serve the remainder of his 2022 sentence, which is scheduled to conclude in December 2024.
During the hearing, Judge Paul Watson addressed Laidler via video link from HMP Durham, emphasizing that the apps he had downloaded were capable of "removing any trace of messages," highlighting the potential for concealment.
Ultimately, Laidler was sentenced to an additional 26 months in prison, reflecting the severity of his violations and the ongoing concern regarding his conduct.
His case continues to draw attention to the dangers posed by individuals with a history of sexual offenses and the importance of vigilant monitoring and enforcement of legal restrictions.
