MICHAEL NOONAN JAILED IN BASILDON FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

In May 2010, Michael Noonan, a 57-year-old resident of Fenners Way in Basildon, was sentenced to six months in prison after admitting to possessing a vast collection of indecent images and videos depicting children. The case drew significant attention due to the disturbing nature of the material involved and the serious implications for the community.

According to court records, Noonan claimed that he was not responsible for actively downloading the illicit content. Instead, he stated that he had discovered the images on a computer and subsequently copied them onto a USB stick and a CD-ROM. Despite his claims, he pleaded guilty to eight counts related to the creation and possession of indecent images and films of minors during an earlier hearing.

The police investigation revealed that the majority of the images found on Noonan’s devices were classified as level one, indicating the least severe category of indecency. However, alarmingly, 366 images were categorized as level four, and 22 as level five, which are considered the most serious and disturbing classifications. The court was informed that some of the children depicted in these images were as young as two or three months old, with others being around nine or ten years old, highlighting the heinous nature of the material.

Prosecutor Mohammad Islam emphasized the severity of the case, stating, “The age range starts at only two or three months old at level four, going up to children aged nine or ten in level five images.” This detail underscored the disturbing reality of the abuse involved and the grave concern for the safety of vulnerable children.

During the proceedings, the court was informed that Noonan had not directly engaged in the physical abuse of children nor had he personally taken the indecent images himself. Defense lawyer Marc Brown expressed remorse on behalf of his client, saying, “Mr Noonan is extremely ashamed of appearing before the court for these offences. It has been a salient experience for him and he wants to deal with this issue.”

Judge Alan Saggerson, presiding over the case at Southend Crown Court, delivered a stern sentence, describing Noonan as being at the bottom of a particularly “malodorous pile” of offenders involved in accessing child abuse images. The judge also imposed a lifelong ban preventing Noonan from working with children and issued a sexual offences prevention order that will remain in effect indefinitely.

Judge Saggerson stated, “I am satisfied beyond a shadow of a doubt all the remaining elements of this order are necessary in this case and they are necessary to prevent this defendant from embarking on offences that involve the taking or using of images of a pornographic nature of children in the future.” The ruling reflects the court’s firm stance on protecting children and deterring such heinous crimes within the community of Basildon and beyond.