WILLIAM SMITH OF TIDWORTH SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN WILTSHIRE AND WAKEFIELD

In April 2022, a man from Tidworth named William Smith was sentenced to a decade in prison after being found guilty of multiple serious offenses involving the sexual abuse of minors, as well as possession of indecent images of children. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern of criminal behavior that spanned several years and involved both local and distant locations.

William Smith, aged 69 and formerly residing on Oak Close in Tidworth, had already been incarcerated for previous crimes when he faced these new charges. His guilty plea covered two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child under the age of 13, along with three counts of creating indecent images of children. Additionally, he was convicted of possessing 79 images classified as prohibited under law, which depicted the most severe forms of child exploitation. The court imposed a 10-year prison sentence, complemented by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to monitor his future conduct. Furthermore, Smith was mandated to register as a sex offender, ensuring ongoing oversight of his activities.

The investigation into Smith’s activities was initially conducted by a different police force, which uncovered online communications where Smith openly discussed and planned the sexual abuse of children. Believing he was communicating with another sex offender, Smith was actually speaking to an undercover police officer. The officer’s role was to gather evidence and prevent further harm. Smith’s arrest followed his attempt to meet this contact in person, with the intent to commit additional offenses. This incident led to his subsequent imprisonment for those offenses as well.

Following his arrest, Wiltshire Police were alerted to potential offenses committed within their jurisdiction, including the fact that Smith had disclosed details about children he had abused in Wiltshire. Authorities executed a warrant at his residence in Tidworth, seizing electronic devices for forensic analysis. They also reached out to the families of children whom they believed Smith had harmed, to inform and support them during this distressing time. An examination of Smith’s mobile phones revealed a disturbing collection of over 2,000 indecent images of children, including 316 images that depicted the most serious forms of abuse. These findings underscored the extent of his criminal activities and the severity of his offenses.

In a separate but related case from December 2020, William George Smith, aged 68, was also involved in a disturbing incident where he traveled over 200 miles from Wiltshire to Wakefield with the intent to sexually abuse children he had arranged to meet online. He had even purchased gifts for the children, indicating premeditation and a calculated effort to groom and exploit his victims. Smith believed he was meeting a man in a Wakefield pub who had two children with him, but in reality, he was lured into a police sting operation. The police had set up the meeting after Smith believed he was communicating with a fellow paedophile named ‘Mark,’ who was actually an undercover officer.

Prosecutors at Leeds Crown Court detailed how Smith had exchanged explicit messages expressing his desire to perform sexual acts on the children, aged 10 and 12, and had arranged to meet them on July 30. On the day of the planned meeting, Smith contacted ‘Mark’ to confirm he had left his home on Oak Close in Tidworth and later called again to report difficulty finding the pub in Wakefield. When he finally arrived, police officers were waiting to arrest him. Smith admitted to bringing gifts for the children, further illustrating his intent. He pleaded guilty to four counts of arranging to abuse children.

During the hearing at HMP Leeds, Smith appeared via videolink, displaying signs of impatience. A report presented to the court indicated that Smith had little understanding of the harm his actions could cause, suggesting that his involvement might have been diminished because he believed the children had already been abused. Judge Geoffrey Marson QC sentenced him to three years in prison, emphasizing the troubling nature of his sexual interests and lack of remorse or insight into the impact of his actions. The court also announced that a Sexual Harm Prevention Order would be issued at a later date to restrict his future behavior and protect the community from potential harm.