MICHAEL POUNDER BRIGHOUSE SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Brighouse, Michael Pounder, a 30-year-old man with a prior conviction, has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for a series of heinous sexual offences involving a 12-year-old girl. The offences, which spanned over six days in April of this year, included sexually exploiting the young girl, attempting to involve her family in his depraved acts, and making indecent images of children.

According to court proceedings at Bradford Crown Court, Pounder engaged in online conversations with the girl, who was not a local resident. He falsely presented himself as a 17-year-old youth, using a fake name and sending her images of male models he had taken from the internet. Despite being under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for possession of indecent images of children, Pounder continued to communicate with the girl via Instagram.

The court was told that the girl, who was only 12 at the time, sent him explicit photos and videos of herself performing sexual acts. Pounder reciprocated by sending her sexual images and asked for photos of her friends, claiming it was “true love.” He also made disturbing requests, asking her to involve her younger sister and even suggesting a threesome with her mother. He expressed a desire to meet her in person, describing her as “the most sexy-looking girl he had ever seen.”

Throughout the six days of communication, Pounder and the girl exchanged messages for up to four hours daily. The situation came to light when the girl’s mother discovered the inappropriate chat on April 12 and promptly contacted the police. Authorities seized Pounder’s laptop and mobile phones, which contained incriminating images of the girl.

Initially, Pounder claimed he believed the girl was between 16 and 17 years old, but he later admitted to having a sexual interest in young girls. He told police that he had never met the girl in person, insisting that their relationship was purely based on sexual communication. However, the court found his actions to be a clear exploitation of a vulnerable child for his own gratification.

Recorder Richard Wright QC condemned Pounder’s conduct, stating, “You undoubtedly exploited that child for your own sexual gratification and you did so with persistence.” The judge emphasized the seriousness of the offences, which included causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, creating an indecent video of a child, and breaching the SHPO imposed in September 2017.

As part of his sentence, Pounder will serve two-thirds of his prison term in custody. Additionally, the court imposed a new SHPO with no time limit and mandated that Pounder sign the sex offender register for life. The judge’s remarks underscored the gravity of the case and the need for ongoing supervision to protect the public from such dangerous individuals.

In a separate incident dating back to September 2017, Pounder, then aged 26, was found to possess over 1,200 images of child sexual abuse on his mobile phone. His actions came to light after he uploaded some of these images to Twitter on January 18. Police investigations revealed that the images included 155 category A, 409 category B, and 713 category C photographs, along with 477 prohibited images and 21 extreme pornography pictures involving acts with animals.

During police interviews, Pounder initially claimed he believed the images were not of children but later admitted to possessing the material. He stated he had no sexual interest in children or animals and that he viewed the images out of curiosity. Despite the severity of the evidence, he avoided immediate imprisonment, receiving a 12-month suspended sentence, with a two-year supervision period, and was ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. He was also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and required to register as a sex offender for the next ten years.

This case highlights the ongoing concerns surrounding online child exploitation and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to combat such crimes. The community of Brighouse and beyond is urged to remain alert and report any suspicious activity to authorities to help protect vulnerable children from predators like Michael Pounder.