PHILIP POOLE FROM SUTTON-IN-ASHTON SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES AND VIDEOS

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Sutton-in-Ashfield, Philip Leonard Poole, a 72-year-old resident of Cuttings Avenue, has been sentenced to six months in prison after admitting to possessing and creating a significant collection of child sexual abuse images and videos. The investigation into Poole’s activities revealed a disturbing pattern of behavior that spanned over four years, culminating in his arrest in December 2014.

Police officers executed a raid on Poole’s residence, uncovering a cache of illicit material stored on his computer. During questioning, Poole confessed that he had been downloading these materials for a period of approximately four years, with the activity ceasing only in October 2014. The court was informed that the files included a variety of categorized images, with 38 classified as Category A, indicating the most severe level of abuse, 19 as Category B, and 22 as Category C.

Among the most disturbing findings was a 15-minute video depicting an eight-year-old girl being sexually abused by a boy estimated to be between five and seven years old. Additionally, investigators discovered a lengthy video exceeding three hours, which showed young girls performing sexual acts on webcams, further highlighting the severity of the material Poole had stored.

Poole admitted to police that he preferred images of young individuals without adult involvement and expressed a particular interest in 14-year-old girls acting alone. The police traced his computer activity through his IP address, which was linked to Suffolk, after he downloaded the illicit files via a file-sharing program. Poole claimed that he had downloaded and subsequently deleted more such files, often feeling disgusted with himself and attempting to purge the material from his computer.

During the court proceedings, Julia King, representing Poole, emphasized that her client had no prior criminal record and had been forthcoming with authorities following his arrest. She explained that although Poole had downloaded the films, he might not have viewed all of them. She also noted that he had sought help from his general practitioner and a psychologist, attending therapy sessions aimed at addressing his problematic behavior. Furthermore, Poole now restricts his internet use to supervised sessions to prevent further access to such material.

Judge Hamilton delivered a stern judgment, describing Poole as a typical paedophile and expressing disbelief that someone of his age could contemplate downloading such heinous content, especially considering he was a father himself. The judge condemned Poole for his apparent disregard for the suffering of the children depicted in the images, emphasizing that his actions were driven solely by sexual gratification without regard for the victims’ pain.

In addition to the prison sentence, Poole was ordered to be banned from contacting anyone under the age of 16 via the internet. He was also required to register as a sex offender and to provide a complete record of his internet activity whenever requested by law enforcement authorities. The court’s verdict underscores the seriousness with which such offenses are treated and highlights the ongoing efforts to combat child exploitation in the digital age.