MICHAEL THORNE FROM GLOUCESTER SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE AND ONLINE SEX OFFENCES

In March 2017, a disturbing case emerged involving Michael Thorne, a 54-year-old security guard from Gloucester, who was convicted of heinous crimes involving child abuse and online sexual misconduct. Thorne, who was employed as a security guard at a large company in Gloucester and was known to be an active nudist, was sentenced to four years in prison at Gloucester Crown Court for a series of serious offenses.

According to court reports, Thorne had engaged in sexual abuse of a very young boy and had attempted to incite a 12-year-old girl to participate in inappropriate activities while he watched her online. The judge described Thorne as someone who had completely lost his sense of boundaries between lawful and unlawful behavior towards children, highlighting the severity of his actions.

The investigation into Thorne’s activities was initiated after Google reported suspicious online activity linked to his IP address. Specifically, on April 20 of the previous year, Google notified authorities that an indecent image of a child had been attached to an email sent from Thorne’s IP address. This crucial piece of evidence led to a police raid on his residence in Gloucester.

During the search, law enforcement officials discovered a disturbing collection of child and extreme pornographic material on Thorne’s computer. The images included 26 Category A indecent images, 18 Category B, and 71 Category C images, along with extreme pornographic content depicting simulated rape and bestiality. Additionally, police found indecent images of the young boy Thorne had abused on his mobile phone.

Thorne pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including inciting the boy into sexual activity, attempting to incite the girl, possessing extreme pornographic images, taking indecent photographs of the young boy, and possessing indecent images of children. During police interviews, Thorne displayed a concerning lack of insight into the harm caused by his actions and was notably candid about his viewing habits, admitting to viewing indecent images of children for three to four years and sharing such material with others.

He rationalized his behavior by suggesting that if a child did not show distress, then sexual contact might be acceptable, and he claimed his sexual interest in children was driven by curiosity. Thorne also stated that he had taken images of the young boy touching himself sexually because others had sent him similar images. When questioned about his online interactions with a 12-year-old girl, Thorne asked her about her nightwear, instructed her to remove her knickers, and expressed a desire for her to explore her feelings, suggesting he wanted her to have 'naughty fun.' The girl described his comments as inappropriate and not suitable for her age.

Despite the gravity of his crimes, Thorne was described as being of previous good character. However, the court did not overlook the seriousness of his offenses. Judge Recorder Adam Vaitilingam QC sentenced Thorne to four years in prison, emphasizing that Thorne himself admitted to losing any understanding of where the boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable conduct lay. The judge also imposed a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and mandated that Thorne register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, reflecting the ongoing risk he poses to the community in Gloucester.