RICHARD THOMAS OF LITHERLAND SENTENCED FOR CHILD INDECENCY OFFENSES IN LIVERPOOL AND MAGHULL

In May 2019, Richard Thomas, a man from Litherland, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted of multiple serious offences related to the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. This marked his third conviction within a span of nine years, highlighting a troubling pattern of criminal behavior involving online child sexual abuse.

Thomas, aged 31 at the time of sentencing, pleaded guilty to five separate charges at Liverpool Crown Court. These included three counts of creating indecent images of children, one charge of encouraging another person to commit the offence of distributing such images, and a further count of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). The National Crime Agency (NCA) had uncovered that Thomas was actively using an online video conferencing platform to view indecent images of children. Investigators linked the usernames ‘Ped UK’ and ‘P1’ in the chat rooms to Thomas, establishing his involvement in these illicit activities.

His criminal history is extensive, with previous convictions related to similar offences. In 2010, Thomas received a three-year community order, and in 2016, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison along with a SHPO that restricted his internet access unless approved by police officers. These measures were put in place to prevent further offending, but evidently, they did not deter his continued illegal activities. As part of his latest sentence, Thomas was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, and the existing SHPO remains in effect, restricting his online activity and access to certain digital platforms.

Earlier, in July 2010, Thomas was involved in a separate incident where he sent an obscene image depicting a young boy being sexually abused to an individual he met on a gay dating website. At that time, Thomas was 22 years old. He even claimed he could arrange a meeting with the young victim, stating an interest in children as young as ten. His actions came to light after the recipient of the image reported him to the police, leading to a raid on his home in Litherland.

During police interviews, Thomas denied any genuine interest in children, dismissing his claims about knowing the young victim and his father as “pure fantasy.” Despite his denials, the court recognized the severity of his actions. Judge David Swift emphasized that such offences involve the abusive treatment of minors and that those who possess and distribute such images perpetuate this harmful activity. The judge also noted that the community’s long-term safety would benefit from Thomas receiving psychological help to address his underlying issues.

As part of his sentencing, Thomas received a three-year community order with supervision and was mandated to attend the Northumbria sex offender programme. Additionally, he was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for five years and was subjected to a sexual offenders’ prevention order that restricted his internet use.

Prosecutor Simon Duncan outlined that Thomas had engaged in online chats on the Gaydar website prior to his arrest, which led to a sexual encounter at his home. Following this meeting, Thomas emailed the individual, expressing his interest in young boys and sending a thumbnail image of a boy around ten years old being abused. He falsely claimed that the boy was from Maghull and was being attacked by his father, further demonstrating his disturbing intentions. After his home was raided, Thomas admitted to one charge of distributing indecent images and seven counts of possessing such material, underscoring the gravity of his criminal conduct.