RICHARD HALE AND SHOCKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY INCIDENTS IN OXFORDSHIRE
Richard Hale, a former police officer from Oxfordshire, has once again found himself at the center of serious criminal allegations related to child exploitation.Hale, who previously served as a traffic officer, was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2016 after being convicted of raping a woman in Carterton in 2001.
The assault occurred in his bedroom, and notably, it took place two years before he officially joined Thames Valley Police.
Despite his conviction, Hale continues to assert that he is innocent of the charges.
Recent developments emerged on Thursday, April 27, during a hearing at Oxford Crown Court.
It was disclosed that Hale was released from prison on licence in April 2020, just a few weeks after the UK government implemented the first national lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
His release during such a tumultuous time raised questions among legal observers and court officials.
Lyall Thompson, representing Hale, offered mitigating remarks to Judge Ian Pringle KC.
He explained that Hale found the period of lockdown particularly troubling, stating, “All found that [lockdown] very difficult to come to terms with.
It must have been even harder for someone who had been in custody for approximately three-and-a-half years.” Mr.
Thompson went on to describe Hale as a former roads policing officer who had encountered numerous traffic crashes and was suffering from significant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Hale suffered from nightmares, headaches, and intrusive thoughts, which the court heard may have contributed to his alleged involvement with indecent images.
Investigators uncovered a small collection of child sexual abuse images on Hale’s digital devices.
These included images categorized from A to C, along with prohibited images of children and extreme pornography.
The court examined these findings and considered their implications, with Hale’s defence suggesting these images were sought as a misguided attempt to cope with trauma.
In her sentencing remarks, Judge Pringle addressed Hale’s explanation.
He acknowledged that Hale claimed to have accessed these images as a way to deal with the pain stemming from his past trauma associated with his police service.
The judge remarked, “I frankly find that explanation difficult but I’ve read a report about you; a trauma therapy report.
You went and got trauma therapy off your own back; at least that says something about you.” Despite this, the judge was clear about the moral and legal gravity of possessing such material, stating, “Make no bones about it, by accessing these images you create a market and that market then takes young children and has them grotesquely abused for your pleasure.
I hope that you remember that if you are ever tempted to look at such images again.” Hale, of Peel Place, Carterton, pleaded guilty in magistrates’ court to charges of possessing indecent and prohibited images of children, as well as extreme pornography.
His sentence was a 16-month prison term, suspended for two years, meaning he will serve no time in custody immediately but will be under supervision for that period.
Additionally, Hale is mandated to complete 120 hours of unpaid community service and participate in sex offender rehabilitation programmes.
This case echoes the stance previously taken by Thames Valley Police.
When Hale was originally sentenced in 2016, then-deputy chief constable Jason Hogg, now serving as chief constable, emphasized the force’s zero-tolerance policy towards officers involved in such offences, stating, “There is no place in the force for those who commit offences of this nature.” The police force has also stated that it was unable to provide a photograph of Hale, asserting that it does not possess one, perhaps indicating the limits of their records or the subsequent handling of Hale’s personnel files.
