PETER CLARK FROM BIDDULPH CAUGHT WITH CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN POLICE RAID

In November 2018, authorities uncovered disturbing evidence of illegal activity involving pensioner Peter Clark during a police raid at his residence in Biddulph. The investigation was initiated after law enforcement officials became aware that Clark had been downloading and possessing indecent images of children from the internet.

Police officers visited Clark’s home on January 11, following credible information linking him to the possession of such material. At the time, the 70-year-old was residing with his wife in Biddulph. Upon arrival, officers informed Clark of their intention to arrest him. His response was reportedly, "Yes OK I look at it but I don’t do anything more than that." This statement was captured during the police interview, which took place after the devices had been seized and examined.

The authorities confiscated multiple electronic devices, including a Dell computer and a Canon camera. Subsequent forensic analysis revealed that these devices contained a total of 156 illegal photographs, some of which were classified as extreme pornographic images. During the police interview, Clark admitted to downloading the images. He further disclosed that he had printed some of the photographs and taken additional pictures of them using his camera. Clark explained that he derived greater satisfaction from viewing printed images rather than digital ones, and he had since destroyed the printed copies by burning them.

The court proceedings revealed the severity of the material found on Clark’s devices. Of the images, 61 were categorized as Category A, indicating the most serious level of abuse, while 24 fell into Category B, and 71 were classified as Category C. Although these images had been deleted from the devices, police utilized specialized software to recover the files, confirming their presence.

Clark, a father of two with no prior criminal record, pleaded guilty to three charges related to the possession and creation of indecent photographs of children. His defense attorney, David Farley, explained that Clark’s interest in such material began after he was made redundant from his job. Mr. Farley stated, “He had a lot of time on his hands and started idly searching the internet. He admits this has been a proclivity of his since he was a young man but he has never acted on it.”

Further, the defense highlighted that Clark had taken steps to address his behavior. He had engaged with a course provided by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a child protection charity, which helped him understand the harm caused by such images. Mr. Farley noted, “It pointed out to him that these images require the abuse of the children they are taken of. He never really thought about that previously. He has now realised this.”

In sentencing, Judge David Fletcher emphasized the gravity of the offense. Clark, residing on John Street in Biddulph, was sentenced to a two-year community order, which includes a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 80 hours of unpaid work. The judge also imposed a five-year sexual harm prevention order, restricting Clark’s internet usage, and mandated that he register as a sex offender for five years. Judge Fletcher concluded by stating, “You now understand that the photos of the young children you were looking at are of real children being horribly abused. The law views these sorts of offenses very seriously indeed. You are someone who has been open about the urges you had when you were looking at the images.”