GAINBOROUGH MAN NATHAN HODKIN SENTENCED FOR SHOCKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN DERBYSHIRE

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the local community, Nathan Hodkin, a resident of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, was found guilty of possessing an extensive collection of indecent images of young girls. The offenses, which took place while he was living in Derbyshire, came to light after a brave four-year-old girl alerted her mother to suspicious behavior by Hodkin, who was seen hiding and taking photographs of her.

Hodkin, a hospital worker at the time, had secretly used a mobile phone camera attached to binoculars to secretly record young girls in the vicinity of Gainsborough and Derbyshire. His actions were meticulously detailed during the court proceedings, revealing that he had taken more than 83,000 photographs of girls aged between four and ten. These images depicted the victims in various states of undress, including some in the nude or partially clothed, and were stored on his computer and mobile devices.

Among his files, Hodkin kept a folder labeled “My Cutie,” which contained images of one of the young girls, highlighting the disturbing nature of his collection. The sheer volume of photographs, many of which were of children he did not even know personally, raised serious concerns about his motives and the extent of his offending. The police investigation uncovered that over 1,000 of these images were of an indecent nature, categorized as Category C images, which included naked photographs of the victims.

The incident that ultimately led to Hodkin’s arrest occurred in July of the previous year. The four-year-old girl, who was playing nearby, noticed Hodkin with a phone in his hand and became suspicious. She confided in her mother, who then saw Hodkin with the device. The mother shouted for help, and her partner, along with others, pursued and detained Hodkin until police arrived. During his arrest, Hodkin admitted to officers that he had numerous photographs of children stored on his devices.

Further analysis of Hodkin’s electronic devices revealed a staggering 83,603 photographs of seven young girls, with 1,106 of these images being indecent. Additionally, he had downloaded 5,558 indecent images from the internet, all of which were stored in separate files under the names of the victims. The police investigation uncovered that Hodkin had been engaged in this disturbing activity over a period spanning from 2013 to 2016.

Hodkin, who was residing at Rectory Avenue in Gainsborough at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to eight counts of producing indecent images of children. His sentencing took place at Derby Crown Court, where Judge Nirmal Shant QC expressed grave concern over the scale and duration of Hodkin’s offending. The judge emphasized the distress caused to the victims and their families, noting that the invasion of their privacy was deeply troubling. Several parents of the victims attended the court to witness the sentencing, and their dignity was commended by the judge.

Hodkin was sentenced to 20 months in prison, a punishment that reflects the severity of his crimes and the profound impact on the victims and their families. The case has left a lasting impression on the community, highlighting the importance of vigilance and the devastating consequences of such heinous acts.