March 2016 Prolific paedophile caught searching ‘p**sy’ online claims he was looking for Brentwood cat home A PROLIFIC paedophile from Kelvedon Hatch claimed he was searching for cat homes in Brentwood after police found the word ‘p**sy’ along with ‘teenage’ in his search history. Peter Parks, who lives in Broad Meadow, was described as a “very lucky man” by a judge this morning when he narrowly avoided being locked up again. He previously admitted making 100 category C indecent photographs of a child that were recovered from his computer in February 2014. They showed girls between the ages of 13 and 15. The 75-year-old has already been jailed twice for similar offences and the probation service described him as “high risk to children” in a pre-sentence report. Prosecutor Richard Potts said: “Plain clothes police officers went to the home of Parks unannounced. “The history giving rise to that is that in January 2004 at Basildon Crown Court, Parks pleaded guilty to the possession of 15 amounts of images of children and was sentenced to four months in prison and a restraining order. “On December 22, 2010 at Basildon Crown Court he pleaded guilty to three offences of possessing indecent images of children and received eight months imprisonment. “On July 1, 2011 at Basildon magistrates he pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual offence prevention order and was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years. “When police arrived Parks was sitting at a desk with a laptop. “He was told it would need to be examined and the internet history viewed. “During the examination, phrases observed included ‘p**sy’ ‘lolita’ and ‘teen.’ “He was told the laptop would be seized and it was examined. “It was apparent there seemed also to be a programme that facilitated regular cleaning of the computer.” The court heard how through the course of police interviews, Parks admitted possessing the images and said he accessed them through a news group. Defending Parks at Chelmsford Crown Court today, Steven Levy urged the judge to consider a community order rather than to jail Parks again. He explained while the pre-sentence report stated he was a “high risk to children” and his offending was “likely to develop into contact offences,” experts recommended an internet sexual offender programme. Mr Levy said: “I also see he wants to get help. “It’s much like the addict who is addicted to drugs but doesn’t see it as a problem. “We then have this difficult situation where you send him to prison but it’s not even acting as a deterrent. “On the one hand you need to punish him but are you protecting the public by doing so? “We’re not getting to the underlying issue and the only way of addressing it is with an intervention. “There’s never been any structured involvement with this man. “He’s repeatedly committed the same offence.” Judge Emma Peters said: “When I read this pre-sentence report, the suggestion this man could possibly say to probation that the word p**sy came from looking up a cat home in Brentwood is laughable. “The difficult thing is, you’re saying to me he has been to prison before but that’s not deterred him, so try something less than prison.” Parks was handed a three year community order with the requirement of completing an internet sexual offender course, an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and will appear on the sex offenders’ register for seven years. Judge Peters said to Parks: “You have a repulsive habit of looking at indecent images of young girls. “The images you look at of children to satisfy your perverted lust at home destroys the lives of children. “Do not think that just because, so far you have not had contact offences, that you shouldn’t be shamed. “The difficulty there is that you’re 75-years-old and appear to have a very ingrained pattern of behaviour and every parent of a child would expect the courts to protect children from people like you. “I’ve been told in this pre-sentence report that they deem you to be high risk. “It leaves me with a horrible decision. “If this course is not done you’re likely to reoffend. “I’m told you’re a high risk to children and that if you went to prison the likelihood would be that you would be back within the community within a year and I’m told you would still present a high risk to children.” Judge Peters said the situation was “a horrible decision for any judge to make. “So what do I do?” she continued. “Send you back to prison knowing the experts say you will keep offending or do something about your repulsive habit? “I’m going to take the advice of the experts and I’m going to give you a chance to try and mend your ways. “I’m going to impose the order they suggest but I do so with an extremely heavy heart. “Rest assured, I will reserve any breach to myself so I can take responsibility for the decision I have made today and if you’re before me again I will make sure you go to prison. “You’re a very lucky man today. “It’s only because I care about the children out there. “It’s not about you, it’s about protecting children.” The SHPO prevents Parks from using any internet or computer that does not retain the history and stops him from deleting any history. He will be allowed no contact or communication of any child under the age of 16 unless the child is with a parent or the parent knows about his offending. He was ordered to pay costs of £200. February 2016 Pensioner pleads guilty to making indecent photos of a child A 75-year-old man from Kelvedon Hatch appeared in Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to making indecent images of a child. Peter Parks, who lives in Broad Meadow, entered a guilty plea to the charge which relates to one category A image, one category B image and 100 category C image, that were recovered from his computer in February, last year. Category A is the most serious level of indecent images. Parks will be sentenced at a later date.