PAEDOPHILE PAUL HOBBS FROM FAREHAM JAILED FOR INTERNET PORN AND CHILD ABUSE
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Fareham, Paul Hobbs, a man with a long history of criminal behavior related to child exploitation, has been sentenced to a significant prison term after being found in possession of illegal internet content involving minors.The 52-year-old, who was once known locally as a disc-jockey at children’s parties, concealed a sordid past of paedophile convictions that spanned decades.
Hobbs’s latest arrest occurred on January 28 of this year, after his partner of ten years, Karen McIntyre, took the drastic step of handing his computer over to Fareham police.
The device was found to contain hundreds of disturbing images and videos, including footage depicting incest, torture, and the rape of children.
This discovery prompted a thorough investigation by Hampshire police’s paedophile unit based at Netley, which uncovered further troubling details about Hobbs’s activities.
Among the revelations was his ongoing online relationship with a teenage girl from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
The girl, who believed Hobbs to be a 19-year-old DJ, confided in him and was eventually coerced into participating in his perverted fantasies, including cyber sex.
During police interviews, Hobbs openly admitted to his deviant tendencies, stating, “I am a paedophile and will be till the day I die.” At Portsmouth Crown Court, Judge David Selwood condemned Hobbs’s actions, describing the images he reviewed as “quite dreadful.” Hobbs faced multiple charges, including possession of indecent images of children, which he had been using for over a year.
Prosecutor Janice Brennan highlighted Hobbs’s proficiency with the internet, noting that he particularly enjoyed engaging in cyber sex, despite knowing it was ethically wrong, though he claimed ignorance of its illegality.
Hobbs’s criminal record is extensive, dating back to 1989 when he was fined £1,000 by Gosport magistrates for taking indecent photographs of children.
His past convictions also include a nine-month jail sentence at Portsmouth Crown Court in 1994 for luring a girl to his loft studio with sweets and cash to take explicit photos involving sex toys.
In 1996, he received a three-year prison sentence for indecent acts committed against a 14-year-old girl.
During the recent trial, Hobbs pleaded guilty to charges of gross indecency with a child and 24 counts of possessing indecent images of children.
His defense attorney, David Jenkins, argued that Hobbs’s own childhood abuse might have contributed to his deviant behavior, expressing hope that his libido might diminish over time.
However, the court’s focus remained on the severity of his crimes and the danger he posed to children and the community of Fareham.
