PAUL HOOK OF SNODLAND SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES IN MAIDSTONE

In a case that has shocked the local community of Snodland and the wider Kent area, former police officer Paul Hook has been convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography. After serving nearly six months in custody, Hook was released under strict supervision, with a judge imposing a three-year community rehabilitation order to ensure ongoing monitoring and intervention.

Judge Andrew Patience, QC, presided over the case at Maidstone Crown Court and emphasized the severity of the crimes committed by the 32-year-old. During the hearing on Monday, the judge stated, “You have effectively served a 12-month sentence. I am going to adopt the (probation) recommendation so that you are subject to a vigorous programme of intervention for three years, because you need it.”

It was revealed that Paul Hook, who resided on Alex Hughes Close in Snodland, was a probationary officer at the time he committed these offenses. The investigation was initiated after authorities discovered suspicious activity involving Hook’s credit card. Specifically, his credit card had been used to access websites containing child pornography, which raised immediate concerns.

Police officers responded to his residence in June, where they seized his computer and a total of 165 floppy disks. These items were found to contain numerous indecent images of children, which formed the core evidence against him. Initially, Hook denied viewing any indecent images of children, but he later admitted to using his credit card to access sites featuring material involving girls ranging from early teens to 18 years old.

Prosecutor Adrian Fleming detailed that Hook, who was employed as a police officer in Maidstone, had also distributed three images by uploading them to internet newsgroups. The court heard that Hook, a father of two, had initially requested custody in June, citing fears that he might harm himself. This was seen as an indication of his distress and the gravity of his situation.

Hook faced multiple charges, including 22 counts of making indecent photographs of a child, one count of distributing such images, and possession of nearly 4,000 indecent photographs of children. The evidence presented painted a disturbing picture of his involvement with illegal material.

During the proceedings, Kevin Sparks, representing Hook, expressed that his client was genuinely shocked by the material he had accessed. Sparks mentioned that Hook had reported the images to a site called Child Focus and claimed that he did not understand why he had downloaded the material, asserting there was no sexual motive behind his actions.

However, the impact on Hook’s personal life was profound. The judge noted that his activities had likely destroyed his career and caused significant damage to his family life. It was reported that Hook had been living with his partner since 1999, and the court acknowledged that his actions had devastating consequences on their relationship.

Judge Patience delivered a stern message, highlighting the disturbing reality of child exploitation on the internet. He stated, “It is certain that somewhere on this planet children as young as three and certainly of an age with no understanding of sexual activity are being subjected to horrifying acts of cruelty and degradation. This is done by people in an act of calculated wickedness in order to make money once the images have been made and put on the Internet. I hope you understand, therefore, the view I take of this and I am confident other courts will take of this.”

The judge also pointed out that Hook had lost his job and was deemed unfit to continue working as a police officer. He further remarked that Hook might have lost his family as well, emphasizing that these consequences were a direct result of his own actions. As part of his sentence, Hook will be required to attend a sex offenders’ programme, remain on the sex offenders’ register for five years, and submit to regular reports on his progress every six months.