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MICHAEL SMITH BANNED FROM WORKING WITH CHILDREN AFTER BOURNEMOUTH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY SCANDAL
In April 2004, a man from Bournemouth named Michael Smith was sentenced to a lengthy prison term after being found guilty of possessing and creating indecent images of children. Smith, aged 34, who was already on the Sex Offenders' Register due to previous offenses involving young girls, was convicted of downloading hundreds of disturbing images that depicted child abuse.The incident came to light when a colleague at his workplace, an office in Bournemouth, discovered a folder containing these illicit images. Initially, the colleague believed the material to be adult content, but upon closer inspection, she realized that the images involved minors. Recognizing the severity of the situation, she promptly reported her findings to her superiors, who then contacted law enforcement authorities.
Further investigation revealed that Smith had been regularly accessing the internet during work hours, sometimes twice a week, to download such images. These images were not only stored on his work computer but also taken home by him. Police later uncovered more than 1,500 images on his personal computer, illustrating a disturbing pattern of behavior.
Smith pleaded guilty to 19 charges related to the creation and possession of indecent images of children. Additionally, he admitted to failing to notify the police of a change of address, as required under the Sex Offenders' Act, and to indecently assaulting a young girl. The assault involved Smith initially tickling the girl’s stomach before touching her inappropriately, and then telling her, “Don’t tell your mother. You have a nice bum, and you’ll be a model one day.” The girl complied with his instructions and did not report the incident immediately, which was noted during the court proceedings.
During the trial at Southampton Crown Court, it was also revealed that Smith had boasted to the girl’s mother about stealing large sums of money from his workplace, claiming he had stolen around £60,000. However, the actual amount stolen was approximately £15,000. Smith also admitted to a second indictment involving theft from TMX in Southampton and 12 counts of false accounting.
Judge David Griffiths delivered the sentence, emphasizing that Smith’s participation in a sex offenders’ program in 1999 had not changed his sexual orientation. The judge stated that Smith was attracted to pre-pubescent girls and that he had admitted to a probation officer that he would likely offend again in the future. The court was presented with evidence indicating that Smith posed a high risk of harm to children, and a report highlighted that he was not motivated to change his “deviant behavior.”
As part of his sentencing, Smith’s license was extended by three years, and he was banned from working with children indefinitely. In mitigation, his defense lawyer, David Jenkins, argued that Smith had admitted to the offenses early on and claimed that he had downloaded the images solely for personal use. Jenkins also pointed out that Smith was in a trusted position at work and had used the stolen money to secure and furnish a flat.
Overall, the case underscores the serious nature of child exploitation crimes and the ongoing risks posed by individuals like Michael Smith, especially given his history and the disturbing evidence uncovered during the investigation.