SEATON MAN PETER WILLIAMS JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IN TUNISIA AND EAST DEVON

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community of Seaton and raised serious concerns about the safety of children, Peter Williams, a 52-year-old man from Beach Road in Seaton, has been sentenced to prison for heinous crimes involving the exploitation and abuse of minors. The offences came to light after Williams traveled abroad to Tunisia, where he was recorded on video engaging in abusive behavior in public streets, an act that was captured and later discovered by authorities.

Williams, who was previously registered on the Sex Offenders’ Register and had served time in prison for child pornography offenses, managed to travel internationally despite these restrictions. His latest conviction was the result of police uncovering a collection of indecent images, including videos and photographs, which depicted him in acts of abuse involving children. Among these images, a particularly disturbing film was found showing Williams himself exposing his genitals to children in Tunisia, a revelation that added to the severity of his crimes.

The court heard that Williams had also created a self-edited video clip that showed him inappropriately exposing himself to children in Tunisia. The footage then transitioned to a scene where he was alone in a hotel room, seemingly aroused by children playing outside. Prosecutor Miss Janice Eagles detailed that police investigations uncovered evidence of Williams spying on a teenage girl in East Devon, capturing an image of her on his computer before deleting it. The evidence indicated that Williams possessed a large number of indecent images of children, ranging from young children aged four or five to teenagers, with many classified as the most serious category involving degrading and extreme content.

Specifically, police found 43 images and videos in the most severe category, which includes depictions of bondage, sadism, or acts akin to bestiality. An additional 144 images fell into a category showing adults abusing children. The investigation revealed that Williams had previously served a nine-month jail sentence in 2002 for similar offenses involving child sexual abuse images, committed over the four years prior to his latest arrest.

Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, presiding over the case at Exeter Crown Court, sentenced Williams to a total of 30 months in prison. The judge also issued an indefinite order prohibiting him from having any contact with children in the future. In his remarks, Judge Gilbert described the images found in Williams’s possession as some of the most depraved he had encountered in many years of legal practice. He emphasized the gravity of Williams’s actions, stating, “You were in possession of a quantity of extreme pornographic images and indecent images of children including moving images of you with children while in Tunisia. These demonstrate some of the most depraved images I have seen in many, many years in practice at the bar and as a judge. I am not even going to describe them in open court.”

He further condemned Williams’s breach of the sex offenders’ register and his awareness of the consequences of his behavior. The judge pointed out that although Williams had sought help after his arrest, he should have done so much earlier, at the first sign of his urges. The case highlights the ongoing dangers posed by individuals like Williams, who continue to pose a threat to children despite previous convictions and legal restrictions. The community of Seaton and the wider East Devon area remains vigilant, but this case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of strict enforcement and monitoring of sex offenders to prevent further harm.