RICHARD MASON FROM NEWTON POPPLEFORD ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE SHOCKING CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND FANTASIES

In a case that has shocked the community of Newton Poppleford, Richard Mason, a 52-year-old IT professional, narrowly avoided imprisonment after admitting to serious offences involving indecent images of children and disturbing online communications.

On September 12 of the previous year, authorities executed a search warrant at Mason’s residence on Lark Rise, uncovering a disturbing collection of digital material on his home computer. The police investigation was initiated after tracing Mason’s IP address, which led to the discovery of videos and still images depicting children as young as one or two years old being subjected to sexual abuse. These images were classified at the highest levels of severity, with 84 images in the most serious category A, and additional material in categories B and C.

Further examination revealed a chat log in which Mason expressed a sexual fantasy involving a seven-year-old girl. Additionally, he engaged in a Skype conversation with another paedophile, during which he sent two short video clips. These exchanges and images painted a disturbing picture of Mason’s online activity.

During his court appearance at Exeter Crown Court, Judge Timothy Rose sentenced Mason to 16 months in prison, but this sentence was suspended for two years. The judge also mandated Mason to complete 120 hours of unpaid community service and participate in 45 hours of rehabilitation activities. Mason was placed on the sex offenders register and subjected to a sexual harm prevention order, which grants authorities the ability to monitor his internet usage closely.

In his remarks, Judge Rose emphasized the gravity of the case, stating, “The aggravating feature of this case is that the images are at just about the highest imaginable level of seriousness. They are shocking images.” Despite the severity of the offences, the judge decided to suspend the sentence after hearing that Mason had been receiving psychological counselling since his arrest. The probation service assessed his prospects for rehabilitation as promising.

Mason admitted to downloading 89 still images and three videos classified as Category A, the most severe, along with 238 images and two videos in lower categories B and C. He also revealed that he had deleted 84 Category A images, but still possessed 310 images at lower levels. Notably, he had sent two short Category A video clips via Skype on September 2, 2015.

During police interviews, Mason claimed that he would never physically harm or touch a child, asserting that his interest in the images was purely based on fantasy and roleplay, and not actual intent to harm. The case has raised serious concerns about online safety and the importance of monitoring digital activity, especially in small communities like Newton Poppleford.