WAKEFIELD PAEDOPHILE STUART CLOWES SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AND IMAGE ABUSE

In a significant case that has shocked the Wakefield community, Stuart Clowes, a 61-year-old man from Barden Road, Eastmoor, Wakefield, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term of 14 years for a series of heinous sexual offences involving a young girl. The sentencing followed a detailed trial at Leeds Crown Court, where Clowes was found guilty of three counts of assault by penetration against a girl under the age of 13.

These disturbing offences came to light after Clowes was initially arrested in 2007 for possessing and downloading indecent images of children. During that investigation, authorities uncovered a staggering collection of approximately 20,000 images and videos on his computer. The material included footage of young girls as young as six being restrained and abused by adult men, with some videos also featuring animals. The severity of the material underscored the dangerous nature of Clowes’s activities.

The discovery of these images was linked to a broader investigation involving a legitimate astronomy website based in Croatia. The site had been hacked, and child sex abuse images were posted on its platform. Within just two days, the website received an astonishing 12 million hits from 114,000 different computers across 170 countries. Due to the legitimacy of the website, UK police were able to trace every computer that accessed the illicit content, leading them directly to Clowes.

Following his arrest, Clowes fled the United Kingdom, traveling to the Philippines just seven days after his initial detention. His escape was short-lived, however, as he was apprehended at Heathrow Airport upon his return to the UK. During police interviews, Clowes claimed that his computer's hard drive was so full of images and videos that it was slowing down, prompting him to store the material on CDs. Despite the overwhelming evidence, Clowes continued to deny any involvement in the offences against the young girl or any sexual interest in children.

The judge overseeing the case, Neil Clark, delivered a stern sentence, emphasizing the ongoing trauma experienced by the victim. He stated, “She (the victim) remains shocked, embarrassed and traumatised by what happened to her. That perhaps is putting it mildly.” Judge Clark also highlighted the high risk Clowes poses to children, asserting, “You continue to pose a high risk of harm to children. It is apparent therefore in your case to pass a sentence for public protection.”

In addition to his current sentence, Clowes will be subject to an extended licence period of four years upon his release. It is noteworthy that Clowes has a prior conviction from 1986, when he was jailed for six years for a serious sex offence involving a child and possession of indecent images of children, indicating a long history of criminal behaviour related to child exploitation.