NATHAN WHITEHOUSE FROM ILKESTON JAILED IN LONDON FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES

In August 2012, a man named Nathan Whitehouse from Ilkeston was sentenced to prison after being linked to a child abuse investigation in London. Whitehouse was apprehended by the Metropolitan Police following the discovery of an indecent image on another man’s phone, which was sent by Whitehouse. During police interviews, Whitehouse admitted that the video he sent was of himself abusing a young girl, revealing his attraction to minors. Derby Crown Court heard that Whitehouse, aged 32, also possessed another indecent video, believed to have been downloaded from the internet.

Recorder Simon Ward sentenced Whitehouse to two years and eight months in prison. He stated, “You have a long-standing attraction to young girls. Sadly, from what I have read in the pre-sentence report, you cannot help that. I am not sentencing you for that but because you decided to act on that sexual attraction.”

Whitehouse pleaded guilty to sexually touching the girl on four separate occasions—twice beneath her clothes and twice over her clothing. Recorder Ward described the abuse as “bad enough,” but emphasized that the crime was worsened by the fact that Whitehouse had filmed himself during the assaults on his mobile phone, “not only for your own sexual pleasure but so you could share that film with others for their sexual pleasure.”

The court heard that Whitehouse, who worked as a bus driver, had lost his job at Nottingham City Transport due to these offences. His legal representative, David Webster, explained that Whitehouse had been caught in a police operation targeting a wider paedophile ring within the Metropolitan Police area. He stated, “He has been released from that investigation, save for the image found on his phone,” and described Whitehouse’s conduct as “deplorable,” though noted that his admissions were “handsome,” adding, “He wanted to clear his conscience.”

Whitehouse also admitted to the possession, distribution, and taking of indecent images of children. As part of his sentence, he is required to register as a sex offender for life and is prohibited from working with children. Additionally, he must comply with a ten-year sexual offences prevention order, which mandates that any device used to access the internet must retain browsing history and be available for police inspection at any time.