RICHARD HOWARD FROM SOUTHPORT ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE CHILD SEX OFFENSES

In a case that has sparked widespread outrage among the community in Southport, the family of a 10-year-old girl expressed their profound disappointment and distress after Richard Howard, a hospital porter from the area, was spared immediate imprisonment despite serious allegations of sexual abuse.

According to reports, the family friend of the victim conveyed their anguish, questioning how they are supposed to explain the situation to the young girl. The family’s concern is that Howard, who was found to have kept approximately 300 indecent images of children on his computer, received a relatively lenient sentence that did not include jail time.

At Liverpool Crown Court, Judge David Boulton delivered the verdict, stating that Howard could benefit from participation in a probation sex offender treatment program. The judge emphasized that neither Howard nor society would gain from his incarceration, asserting, “You have a perverted view of the sexuality of young children that damages you as much as it damages them.”

Howard, aged 41 and residing on Old Park Lane, High Park, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, but this sentence was suspended for two years. Additionally, he was placed under supervision for a period of three years, with the condition that he attend a specialized sex offender treatment program.

The family friend expressed their heartbreak over the decision, stating, “It is heartbreaking. We are disappointed, her mother feels she is going to go home and her daughter will think nothing has been done. We feel an immediate custodial sentence would have been a proper conclusion for her. She is still wary of strangers.”

The sexual offense in question reportedly took place in 2004 but was not uncovered until June of the following year, when the young girl confided in her mother. The mother subsequently contacted the NSPCC helpline. Howard admitted to having molested the girl but initially denied possessing inappropriate images on his computer. This denial was overturned after expert analysis confirmed the presence of such images, as detailed during the court proceedings.

Howard pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including sexual activity with a child, four counts of making indecent images, three counts of distributing indecent images, and one count of possessing such an image. Judge Boulton clarified that the sentence was not a sign of leniency, stating, “This is not a soft option.”

Defense lawyer Raymond Herman highlighted that Howard, who has no prior convictions, had always been a diligent worker but resigned from his job after the allegations surfaced. Howard’s wife, a nurse advisor, has since been made redundant, and the family has been living on her redundancy pay.

As part of his sentence, Howard was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years, a measure intended to monitor and prevent further offenses. The case has left the local community in shock, raising questions about the adequacy of the justice system’s response to such grave offenses.