MICHAEL TOMS FROM DONCASTER SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES
| Red Rose Database
Doncaster Child Sexual Abuser
In July 2009, a disturbing case emerged involving Michael Tombs, a social worker from Doncaster, who was found guilty of downloading and possessing child pornography. Tombs, aged 33 at the time, had engaged in these illicit activities while performing his duties as a social worker, a role that involved working closely with disabled children and their families. His actions came to light after police investigations revealed a significant collection of indecent images stored on his personal devices.
During police interviews, Tombs admitted to downloading these images out of curiosity, acknowledging that he was aware of the wrongfulness of his actions. The investigation uncovered a total of 397 indecent images of children on his computer and a hard drive. Most of these images were classified as level one, indicating the least serious category, but there was at least one image at level five, the most severe classification, along with 36 images at level four. Additionally, it was revealed that Tombs had previously deleted some child pornography images, which police later recovered. One particularly troubling aspect was that he had given a second laptop to a 14-year-old girl after befriending her family, raising concerns about his interactions with minors.
Tombs' criminal behavior extended beyond mere possession. He admitted to behaving unprofessionally by sending inappropriate messages to the 14-year-old girl, who did not have access to the images. His actions included file sharing and swapping adult pornography online, which eventually led to the receipt of child pornographic images. He expressed being 'quite shocked' upon seeing the images, describing them as 'vulgar and gross,' but chose not to report them to authorities out of fear that his career would be jeopardized.
At the time of his arrest, Tombs was a single man residing with his parents in Thorne, near Doncaster. Both of his parents were employed as childcare workers with North Lincolnshire Council but were suspended when his misconduct was uncovered. Tombs had been employed by Doncaster Council since May 2003 and resigned only after his arrest in April 2008. Interestingly, he also operated his own childcare training business, Michael Tombs Childcare Services, which offered courses and worked with disabled children. He was actively involved in the community, serving as a primary school governor and preparing to stand as a Labour candidate for a seat on Doncaster Council.
Prosecutor Neil Coxon highlighted that the images found on Tombs' devices ranged from the least serious to the most severe, with one image at level five. The police investigation also revealed that Tombs had befriended a family and provided a second laptop to a 14-year-old girl, further complicating his case. During police interviews, Tombs admitted to starting with file sharing of adult pornography and then progressing to receiving and viewing child pornography. He claimed to be 'shocked' by the images but did not take steps to report his findings, fearing the end of his career.
Throughout his career, Tombs worked closely with disabled children, taking them on outings to the seaside, cinemas, bowling alleys, and theme parks. Just days before his arrest, he had secured a £25,000 contract with Doncaster Council, reflecting his professional standing. He also traveled nationwide for private training sessions related to childcare and child protection. His arrest was described by him as 'like there being a death in the family,' and he expressed ongoing grief over the situation.
During the court proceedings, his defense lawyer, Richard Haigh, described Tombs as a 'hard-working, responsible, and respectable man' prior to his arrest. However, the judge, Recorder Andrew Campbell, was unequivocal in his assessment, stating, 'It is quite clear you downloaded those images for your sexual gratification.' The court emphasized the stark contrast between Tombs' professional role and his private misconduct, underscoring the seriousness of his offenses.
Sentencing, Tombs received a six-week jail term, which he is expected to serve half before being released on license. Additionally, he was subjected to a Sex Offenders Prevention Order and prohibited from working with children in the future. The first time the parents of children under his care learned of his criminal activities was three weeks prior to sentencing, when he admitted guilt at an earlier hearing. Keith Cheshire, whose 15-year-old daughter with disabilities had been taken on outings by Tombs, expressed outrage, stating, 'The sentence is laughable. It is absolutely disgusting. We have not even had a phone call from the council to say what had happened. They have tried to sweep it all under the carpet.'
Doncaster Council defended their vetting procedures, asserting that they conducted thorough checks, including criminal record bureau checks, before employing Tombs. They confirmed that he had no previous convictions and received positive references from other authorities. A council spokesperson emphasized that there was no way to have known about his misconduct prior to his arrest, highlighting the tragic breach of trust and the failure of oversight that allowed such behavior to go unnoticed for so long.
During police interviews, Tombs admitted to downloading these images out of curiosity, acknowledging that he was aware of the wrongfulness of his actions. The investigation uncovered a total of 397 indecent images of children on his computer and a hard drive. Most of these images were classified as level one, indicating the least serious category, but there was at least one image at level five, the most severe classification, along with 36 images at level four. Additionally, it was revealed that Tombs had previously deleted some child pornography images, which police later recovered. One particularly troubling aspect was that he had given a second laptop to a 14-year-old girl after befriending her family, raising concerns about his interactions with minors.
Tombs' criminal behavior extended beyond mere possession. He admitted to behaving unprofessionally by sending inappropriate messages to the 14-year-old girl, who did not have access to the images. His actions included file sharing and swapping adult pornography online, which eventually led to the receipt of child pornographic images. He expressed being 'quite shocked' upon seeing the images, describing them as 'vulgar and gross,' but chose not to report them to authorities out of fear that his career would be jeopardized.
At the time of his arrest, Tombs was a single man residing with his parents in Thorne, near Doncaster. Both of his parents were employed as childcare workers with North Lincolnshire Council but were suspended when his misconduct was uncovered. Tombs had been employed by Doncaster Council since May 2003 and resigned only after his arrest in April 2008. Interestingly, he also operated his own childcare training business, Michael Tombs Childcare Services, which offered courses and worked with disabled children. He was actively involved in the community, serving as a primary school governor and preparing to stand as a Labour candidate for a seat on Doncaster Council.
Prosecutor Neil Coxon highlighted that the images found on Tombs' devices ranged from the least serious to the most severe, with one image at level five. The police investigation also revealed that Tombs had befriended a family and provided a second laptop to a 14-year-old girl, further complicating his case. During police interviews, Tombs admitted to starting with file sharing of adult pornography and then progressing to receiving and viewing child pornography. He claimed to be 'shocked' by the images but did not take steps to report his findings, fearing the end of his career.
Throughout his career, Tombs worked closely with disabled children, taking them on outings to the seaside, cinemas, bowling alleys, and theme parks. Just days before his arrest, he had secured a £25,000 contract with Doncaster Council, reflecting his professional standing. He also traveled nationwide for private training sessions related to childcare and child protection. His arrest was described by him as 'like there being a death in the family,' and he expressed ongoing grief over the situation.
During the court proceedings, his defense lawyer, Richard Haigh, described Tombs as a 'hard-working, responsible, and respectable man' prior to his arrest. However, the judge, Recorder Andrew Campbell, was unequivocal in his assessment, stating, 'It is quite clear you downloaded those images for your sexual gratification.' The court emphasized the stark contrast between Tombs' professional role and his private misconduct, underscoring the seriousness of his offenses.
Sentencing, Tombs received a six-week jail term, which he is expected to serve half before being released on license. Additionally, he was subjected to a Sex Offenders Prevention Order and prohibited from working with children in the future. The first time the parents of children under his care learned of his criminal activities was three weeks prior to sentencing, when he admitted guilt at an earlier hearing. Keith Cheshire, whose 15-year-old daughter with disabilities had been taken on outings by Tombs, expressed outrage, stating, 'The sentence is laughable. It is absolutely disgusting. We have not even had a phone call from the council to say what had happened. They have tried to sweep it all under the carpet.'
Doncaster Council defended their vetting procedures, asserting that they conducted thorough checks, including criminal record bureau checks, before employing Tombs. They confirmed that he had no previous convictions and received positive references from other authorities. A council spokesperson emphasized that there was no way to have known about his misconduct prior to his arrest, highlighting the tragic breach of trust and the failure of oversight that allowed such behavior to go unnoticed for so long.