PATRICK ROCK FROM FULHAM ESCAPES JAIL AFTER CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES IN LONDON

In a case that has drawn significant public attention, Patrick Rock, a 65-year-old former aide to Prime Minister David Cameron, has been handed a relatively lenient sentence after being found guilty of possessing indecent images of minors. The incident took place in London, specifically involving his activities in Fulham, where he resides.

Rock faced a total of 20 charges related to the creation and possession of indecent photographs of young girls, some as young as 10 years old. The charges stemmed from his actions in August 2013, when he downloaded these disturbing images onto his iPad over a span of three days. Despite the serious nature of the allegations, Rock maintained that the images he downloaded were not indecent, a claim that was challenged during the trial.

The case was heard at Southwark Crown Court in London, where a jury deliberated for more than eight hours over two days. Ultimately, they convicted Rock of five counts of making indecent photographs of children, but acquitted him of three other charges. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining 12 counts, which will now be kept on file without further action.

Judge Alistair McCreath delivered the sentence, which was a two-year conditional discharge for each of the five counts, with all sentences running concurrently. The judge emphasized the societal importance of punishing such offenses, stating, “I have not lost sight of the obvious reality that right-thinking people will quite properly consider that those who did what you did should be punished for it.”

He further added, “You should be. And you have been. The punishment for you is the loss of your reputation and your very public humiliation. It is a punishment which you brought on yourself, but is nonetheless a very real one. And it is one that is utterly merited.”

As part of his sentence, Rock is required to register as a sex offender for the duration of two years. Additionally, he is prohibited from using any device with internet access unless it can retain his browsing history, which he must surrender for police inspection upon request during this period.

The court also revealed that the youngest girl in the images was just 10 years old at the time of download, implying she was even younger when the photographs were taken. It was disclosed that Rock downloaded these images while visiting a golf club during a trip to the United States to see family, highlighting the disturbing nature of his actions and the breach of trust involved.