PETER CHAPMAN FROM WORTHING CAUGHT WITH DISTURBING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IMAGES IN LEWES

In August 2018, a disturbing case emerged involving Peter Chapman, a man residing on Portland Road in Worthing, who was found to have downloaded and viewed highly disturbing images of children over a period of a year. The case came to light after police investigations revealed that Chapman had been accessing and viewing illegal content online, which included images depicting the exploitation of minors.

Chapman, a former lunchtime assistant at a primary school in Worthing, claimed that his initial exposure to an indecent image occurred accidentally while browsing a social media platform called Tumblr. Despite this assertion, he admitted to actively searching for and viewing thousands of similar images afterward. His actions prompted a criminal investigation, leading to his arrest and subsequent court proceedings.

The legal proceedings took place at Lewes Crown Court, where Chapman, aged 57, was charged with multiple offenses related to the possession of child exploitation material. During the hearing, it was revealed that police had linked his email address to a website that specialized in distributing child sexual abuse images. The authorities confirmed that, at the time of his offending, Chapman was employed as a cleaner and lunchtime assistant at Chesswood Junior School in Worthing. Importantly, the police clarified that none of the images found in his possession involved local children, and there were no safeguarding concerns regarding children at the school where he worked.

Prosecutor Charmaine Wilson detailed the extent of the evidence against Chapman, stating that police officers seized various computer devices from his residence. An examination of these devices uncovered a staggering total of 3,593 indecent images of children, including six classified as the most severe category, Category A. During police interviews, Chapman admitted to being the bill payer for his internet services and acknowledged that he had viewed images of underage girls around the age of ten. He also confessed to possessing a cartoon image depicting a child being exploited, which the court described as 'deeply disturbing.'

In court, Judge Janet Waddicor addressed the severity of the crimes, emphasizing the profound harm caused to the victims. She stated, “The harm done by people who watch and download images such as these is incalculable.” She further highlighted that some of the children depicted in the images were as young as five to seven years old, and that their exploitation, humiliation, and degradation would likely have lasting psychological effects.

Chapman pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing indecent images of children and one charge of possessing prohibited images, including a cartoon of a child being exploited. The judge acknowledged his expressions of remorse, shame, and disgust, but nonetheless sentenced him to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years. Additionally, Chapman was placed under a sexual harm prevention order, ordered to pay court costs, and a victim surcharge. The court’s decision aimed to reflect the gravity of his offenses and the potential lifelong impact on the victims involved.