WAYNE DAVENPORT FROM CHESTERFIELD CAUGHT WITH HORRIFIC CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES IN DERBYSHIRE

In November 2019, a disturbing case emerged involving Wayne Davenport, a resident of Chesterfield, who was found to possess an extensive collection of child abuse images on his electronic devices. The police investigation revealed that Davenport, a married father of two, had been viewing these heinous images regularly, at least every other day, despite his claims to the contrary.

Derby Crown Court was told that authorities raided Davenport’s home on South Street North, Chesterfield, at 7 a.m. on November 28, 2018, after receiving credible information that indecent images of children were being downloaded from his residence. During the search, law enforcement officers seized multiple electronic devices, which were subsequently analyzed in detail.

The forensic examination uncovered a staggering total of 151,636 images and videos depicting child abuse. Among these, over 1,000 were classified as the most severe Category A, illustrating the worst forms of abuse, including young girls as young as eight being sexually assaulted. The images also included 660 Category B files, which contained 40 movies, and an astonishing 150,055 images categorized as Category C, of which 139 were films. Additionally, investigators found another 9,667 images and videos stored in an inaccessible part of his hard drive.

Further probing revealed that Davenport had used specific search terms, such as “10-year-old Nicole,” indicating a disturbing level of curiosity and obsession. When questioned, Davenport admitted to downloading and sometimes saving these images, then deleting them using specialized software. He claimed that he viewed the material regularly but insisted he did not derive sexual gratification from it, describing his actions as driven by curiosity and a desire to seek help for what he called a problem.

Prosecutor Laura Pitman outlined the gravity of the case, emphasizing that the images showed children as young as eight being subjected to sexual abuse, with some victims as young as ten. She highlighted that Davenport’s collection included some of the most serious types of abuse, which are considered the worst on the scale of child exploitation images. The police also discovered that Davenport had been actively downloading and viewing these images over a period, further indicating a troubling pattern of behavior.

In court, Davenport, aged 52, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children. The charges covered the period from February 23, 2018, to August 12, 2018. The first count involved 921 Category A images, the second involved 660 Category B images, and the third involved a staggering 150,055 Category C images. Despite his claims of not gaining sexual pleasure from the images, the judge, Judge Jonathan Bennett, was unconvinced, stating that Davenport’s actions demonstrated a clear obsession and addiction to child pornography.

Judge Bennett remarked that he had not encountered a case with such a large volume of images in a long time. He pointed out the disturbing nature of the material, noting that some of the children depicted were between eight and ten years old. The judge emphasized that Davenport’s behavior was not just passive viewing but involved a serious obsession that constituted a form of abuse in itself. As a result, he sentenced Davenport to 15 months in prison, but the sentence was suspended for two years, allowing Davenport to avoid immediate incarceration while under supervision.

In addition to the custodial sentence, the judge ordered Davenport to undergo a pre-sentence report with the probation service, indicating the court’s concern about his mental state and the potential for rehabilitation. Davenport was released on bail pending his next hearing, where further assessments and potential treatment options would be considered. This case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement and judicial authorities in Derbyshire to combat child exploitation and hold offenders accountable for their heinous actions.