PAUL COTTARED FROM BARDNEY AVOIDS JAIL IN LINCOLN AFTER CHILD ABUSE IMAGE CASE
| Red Rose Database
Bardney Child Sexual Abuser
In July 2017, a man from Bardney, Paul Cottard, who was found with over 100 child sexual abuse images, received a community order instead of prison, as a judge deemed treatment would better protect the public.
Cottard, age 50, was interviewed following a police search conducted at his Bardney residence in November of the previous year. Lincoln Crown Court was told that authorities seized a computer tower and a laptop, which experts later examined.
Prosecutor Phil Howes reported that these devices contained 105 indecent images of children, which Cottard had downloaded over a span of three weeks. The collection included seven videos and 15 still images classified as the most serious category A, along with two videos and 18 still images in category B, and two videos and 61 images in category C.
Mr. Howes added that Cottard was “frank” with police, admitting he was glad to have been arrested and that he needed stopping. The court was told that Cottard had become addicted to downloading these images while his wife was sleeping.
Defence solicitor Sunil Khanna argued that the number of images was relatively small and that the downloads occurred over a short period. He explained: “He was on a site downloading movies when child pornography popped up. Initially he was curious, but it became addictive and he could not stop looking. He was disgusted with himself and was waiting for the knock at the door.”
Following the search on November 9, Cottard, of Harvey Kent Gardens in Bardney, pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children. He was sentenced to a three-year community order accompanied by a sexual offences treatment program, required to register as a sex offender for five years, and was placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
In sentencing, Recorder William Harbage QC explained that he believed the public would be better protected by a lengthy community order rather than a short prison sentence. However, he cautioned Cottard: “You should be under no illusions: real children were victimised in the making of these images.”
Cottard, age 50, was interviewed following a police search conducted at his Bardney residence in November of the previous year. Lincoln Crown Court was told that authorities seized a computer tower and a laptop, which experts later examined.
Prosecutor Phil Howes reported that these devices contained 105 indecent images of children, which Cottard had downloaded over a span of three weeks. The collection included seven videos and 15 still images classified as the most serious category A, along with two videos and 18 still images in category B, and two videos and 61 images in category C.
Mr. Howes added that Cottard was “frank” with police, admitting he was glad to have been arrested and that he needed stopping. The court was told that Cottard had become addicted to downloading these images while his wife was sleeping.
Defence solicitor Sunil Khanna argued that the number of images was relatively small and that the downloads occurred over a short period. He explained: “He was on a site downloading movies when child pornography popped up. Initially he was curious, but it became addictive and he could not stop looking. He was disgusted with himself and was waiting for the knock at the door.”
Following the search on November 9, Cottard, of Harvey Kent Gardens in Bardney, pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children. He was sentenced to a three-year community order accompanied by a sexual offences treatment program, required to register as a sex offender for five years, and was placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
In sentencing, Recorder William Harbage QC explained that he believed the public would be better protected by a lengthy community order rather than a short prison sentence. However, he cautioned Cottard: “You should be under no illusions: real children were victimised in the making of these images.”