SHELDON GOULD'S SHOCKING CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN OXFORD REVEALED
In August 2021, a disturbing case involving Sheldon Gould, a resident of Oxford, came to light as authorities uncovered his involvement in heinous online activities related to child exploitation.Gould, aged 48, was found to have engaged in and facilitated disturbing virtual sex shows involving minors, which he accessed through the popular video conferencing platform Zoom.
Gould was identified as a participant in these illicit sessions after Canadian law enforcement agencies successfully infiltrated the Zoom meetings in 2015.
During these sessions, he used the usernames ‘Pervtastic’ and ‘Scallyperv’, which clearly indicated his depraved intentions.
Visual evidence from the recordings showed Gould wearing a red-and-white striped football shirt while participating in these sick gatherings.
Further investigation revealed that Gould shared login credentials for these Zoom sessions via Skype messenger conversations.
These messages, found on an LG mobile phone located next to his bed, contained highly disturbing discussions about children.
In these exchanges, Gould claimed to have engaged in sexual acts with a six-year-old boy, although authorities confirmed there was no concrete evidence that he had physically abused children himself.
Nonetheless, the conversations were filled with highly sexualized language about minors, and other participants in the chat expressed that children were “so lucky” to have Gould “teach” them.
Law enforcement officers executed a raid on Gould’s flat in Oxford in 2017, uncovering recordings of the Zoom sessions and the incriminating Skype message threads.
During police interviews, Gould claimed that he had invited men he met online to his residence for ‘chemsex’ parties.
He suggested that these men might have played the indecent material in the background while engaging in sexual activities, although he did not admit to direct involvement in abusing children.
Gould was scheduled to stand trial in June but was unable to attend due to health issues.
Ultimately, he pleaded guilty on a later date to multiple charges, including encouraging the commission of a child sexual offence, making indecent images of children, and possessing such images.
The court heard that these offences dated back approximately four and a half years.
Recorder John Hardy QC sentenced Gould to a two-year prison sentence, suspended for the duration.
The judge acknowledged the seriousness of the offences and the depraved nature of the material involved but also took into account Gould’s ongoing health problems and his upcoming participation in alcohol rehabilitation.
The judge emphasized that the offences occurred several years ago and that Gould was suffering physically at the time of sentencing.
As part of his sentence, Gould is required to register as a sex offender for ten years.
Additionally, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order has been imposed for life, restricting his future activities and monitoring his conduct to protect the community from further harm.
