RICHARD CLARK OF WHITBY JAILED FOR ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN YORK

In June 2019, Richard Clark, a prolific convicted sex offender from Whitby, received a ten-year prison sentence for new offences involving the online exploitation of children. Clark, a 58-year-old lorry driver residing on Fishburn Road in Whitby, had previously been among the first in North Yorkshire to be convicted of downloading indecent images of children in 1999, for which he received a nine-month prison term.

This latest conviction followed an extensive investigation by North Yorkshire Police, which uncovered that Clark had sent money to the Philippines to watch live internet streams of children being sexually abused. Many of these images fell into the most severe category, depicting children crying as they were exploited by adults. Furthermore, Clark engaged with underage girls in the UK online, providing them money in exchange for indecent images of themselves.

At York Crown Court, Judge Andrew Stubbs QC sentenced Clark to ten years in prison, citing the serious nature of his offences. Clark, who had been remanded in custody prior to sentencing, was also subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order that will stay in place indefinitely, aimed at preventing future offences. He was ordered to remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

In February 2019, Clark had already faced charges related to his possession of over 40,000 child-abuse images. During that time, he appeared via video link at York Crown Court for a sentencing hearing that was postponed due to the prosecution's case not being ready. Clark had pleaded guilty in October to three counts of making indecent images and three counts of arranging or facilitating child sex offences.

Prosecutor Camille Morland stated that police located over 40,000 indecent images on Clark's mobile phone and found evidence indicating he had used the device to communicate with a child. Morland commented that the numerous illegal images on Clark’s phone contributed to delays in progressing the case.

Initially scheduled for December, the sentencing was adjourned further to allow police to conduct additional inquiries. On Wednesday, the court considered another three-month delay, with prosecutor Morland requesting time to gather all evidence. Defense lawyer Ben Thomas argued that Clark had already been in Hull Prison for the past four months and urged the court to proceed to sentence without delay. Nonetheless, Judge Stubbs agreed to postpone the hearing to May 13, expressing frustration with the repeated adjournments and noting the investigation had been slower than it should have been.

Clark remains in custody pending his sentencing, and the judge warned him that he was likely to face an extended term behind bars.