PHILLIP MORTON'S SHOCKING CRIME IN IMMINGHAM: CHILD ABUSE AND MASSIVE IMAGE COLLECTION REVEALED

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Immingham, Phillip Morton, aged 56, was found guilty of serious criminal offenses involving child abuse and the possession of an extensive collection of indecent images. The case came to light after police executed a search warrant at his residence on Princess Street in February, uncovering a disturbing trove of illegal material and revealing details of his abusive behavior.

During the investigation, authorities discovered a self-published autobiography authored by Morton, titled "The Loves And Heartaches Of My Life." This book contained explicit details about his abusive relationship with a 15-year-old girl, which he documented in the narrative. The court was informed that Morton admitted to 14 charges related to the possession of indecent images and two counts of indecent assault against the teenage girl, which occurred between 1994 and 1995.

The police investigation uncovered a staggering collection of illegal material stored on multiple hard drives. In total, they found over 17,000 indecent images of children, with the possibility that the total number of images could be much higher—up to 1.9 million, according to the prosecutor, Mark Kendall. However, due to limited police resources, it was not feasible to determine the exact number of indecent images among the vast collection. Of the images discovered, approximately 100 were classified as the most offensive category, indicating their extreme nature.

Many of these images had been encrypted, and Morton had employed software to conceal his searches and access to illegal websites. The court heard that his autobiography’s sixth chapter detailed his relationship with the teenage girl, revealing that he had given her gifts such as earrings and a walkie-talkie to communicate at night. In his own words, Morton wrote, "I found myself falling for her. I spent a lot of time with her," and described how she stayed with him and even slept in his bed.

During police interviews, Morton claimed that parts of his autobiography were fabricated and insisted that the girl had told him she was 16 years old. He stated that he had ended their relationship. However, investigators traced the girl, who provided details of the indecent assaults and described Morton as having viewed her as a "father figure."

Legal representatives for Morton, including Richard Butters, argued that the majority of his collection was for personal gratification, with approximately 80 percent of the images falling into the lowest category of indecency. They also highlighted Morton’s poor health, noting he had suffered heart attacks in 2002 and 2005, describing him as a "medical time bomb."

In sentencing, Judge Mark Bury condemned Morton’s actions, stating, "You were in a position of trust. You have breached that trust in an appalling way. There was an organisation and sophistication in the collection which was amassed over a number of years." The judge sentenced Morton to a total of five years in prison and ordered him to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the breach of trust involved.