SIMON PRATT'S HORRIFIC CRIME IN TRENTHAM: PAEDOPHILE JAILED FOR 125,000 INDECENT IMAGES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Trentham, Simon Pratt, a 44-year-old man with a troubling history, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after authorities uncovered an extensive collection of over 125,000 indecent images of children stored on his personal computers.

Pratt's criminal activities came to light following a series of investigations that revealed his involvement in the possession and distribution of child exploitation material. The investigation traced back to his residence on Earls Road, Trentham, where he lived between June 2007 and June 2008 before being admitted to Harplands Hospital. During his hospital stay, Pratt left his computer at the property, which was subsequently accessed by another individual residing there. This person did not find any indecent images on the device, but the investigation continued.

In late July 2008, another resident at the same address became aware that Pratt had been charged with downloading or creating indecent images of children at an internet café located in Snow Hill, Shelton. This information prompted the police to take action. On August 1, 2008, Pratt’s computers were voluntarily handed over to law enforcement authorities for examination. The police scrutinized both his desktop computer and his laptop, uncovering a staggering amount of illicit material.

Prosecutor David Bennett outlined the findings to Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, revealing that Pratt’s desktop computer contained two hard drives. The first hard drive held 12,647 still images and 12 moving images classified at the lowest level of severity, with additional images at higher levels of severity. The second hard drive contained 934 still images and a handful of moving images, with some classified at the most serious levels of abuse. His laptop was even more prolific, containing over 89,000 still images and 45 moving images at the lowest level, along with thousands of images and dozens of videos at higher levels of severity, including 992 still images and eight moving images at the most serious level.

Most of these images were inaccessible, but authorities confirmed that 1,330 indecent images and 237 videos were viewable. Overall, the police found a total of 125,721 images on Pratt’s devices. Prosecutors stated that Pratt had been sharing these images with others, further exacerbating the severity of his crimes.

Pratt pleaded guilty to ten charges, including making indecent images of children between January 2006 and June 2008, distributing such images, and possessing indecent images of a child. His defense attorney, Andrew Baker, argued that the number of images retrieved was disputed, claiming many were duplicates and that Pratt had made efforts to delete the material. Baker emphasized that there was no evidence to suggest Pratt attempted to recover the images after deletion and suggested that his client had shown remorse.

However, the court’s judgment was severe. Judge Paul Glenn sentenced Pratt to 18 months in prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender for ten years. Additionally, Pratt was banned from working with children or vulnerable adults and was subjected to an indefinite Sexual Offences Prohibition Order (SOPO). This order prohibits him from owning any device capable of accessing the internet, aiming to prevent further offenses.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Glenn expressed his disgust and condemnation of Pratt’s actions. He stated, “I am satisfied you derived sexual pleasure from it. It appears you are attracted to boys and girls and women. These are real children being abused. You are a sex offender and a paedophile.” The case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against child exploitation and the importance of vigilant law enforcement in protecting vulnerable victims.