PETER DRAPER FROM BILLINGHAM CAUGHT WITH 500 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN SHOCKING CASE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Billingham, Peter Draper, a 61-year-old man, was found to be in possession of a staggering 500 indecent images of children on his personal laptop. The incident came to light when Draper approached a work colleague requesting assistance in repairing his computer, citing that it was running unusually slow.

During the repair process, the colleague made a shocking discovery: the laptop contained a vast collection of illicit images. Recognizing the severity of the situation, the colleague promptly contacted the police to report the findings. The authorities responded swiftly, leading to an investigation that uncovered the extent of Draper’s illicit activities.

Prosecutor Rachel Masters provided details during the hearing at Teesside Crown Court, revealing that the laptop contained approximately 400,000 images in total, with 500 classified as child pornography. The images were categorized into different levels of severity, with five images at the most serious Level A, thirty at Level B, and the remaining 417 at Level C. These findings indicated a significant and disturbing collection of illegal material.

Draper, who has been married for three decades and has a grown-up daughter, admitted to police that he had saved some of these images. However, he insisted that he was not motivated by sexual desire, a claim that did little to mitigate the gravity of his actions.

In court, Draper pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children, covering the period from 2010 to 2016. As a result, he was sentenced to six months in prison, though the sentence was suspended for two years. Additionally, he was ordered to participate in 35 days of rehabilitation activities and was mandated to register as a sex offender for a period of ten years. The judge also ordered the destruction of the laptop to prevent further dissemination of the illicit material.

This case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat child exploitation and highlights the importance of vigilance and prompt reporting in addressing such heinous crimes.