Gosport man caught out with horrific indecent images of children

After police turned up at his Fraser Road address in November 2017, David Wilcock, 32, immediately owned up to his crimes to police, Portsmouth Crown Court heard at his sentencing.

The defendant, who had no previous convictions but later told probation he had viewed indecent images of children since he was a child, was finally exposed for his deplorable obsession while using a peer to peer software sharing site.

Wilcock’s collection of vile images were seen by other people who then reported him to the authorities. The hapless offender had no idea others could see his collection of photos.

‘Topics of files can be viewed, downloaded and shared by others on the network,’ prosecutor Matthew Lawson said.

When police turned up at his address, Wilcock did not try and hide his shameful actions before he was arrested and his computer seized.

Internet searches on his computer showed he had been looking for abuse images of ‘pre-teens’ as well as incest, the prosecutor said.

The worst files discovered included moving images of a girl aged between two to four years being raped and the rape of a girl who was aged four to six years. There was also a moving image of beastiality involving a girl aged 11-13 years.

Wilcock told officers: ‘I accessed material through peer to peer software and was unaware others could access it. I did not knowingly share it to others.’

The defendant admitted three charges of distributing indecent images of children and three charges of making indecent images of children. They included 124 category A images (the most serious level which involved penetration), 1,256 category B images and 171 category C images.

In defence, Daniel Riley, said Wilcock was ‘remorseful’ for his actions which had had a ‘big impact on him’.

Mr Riley explained how the defendant had taken steps to curb his desires by attending therapy paid for by himself. Social services were also said to have closed a case on him after carrying out a risk assessment.  

Judge David Melville QC decided not to send Wilcock to prison after he had taken ‘significant steps’ to prevent his offending – a problem that had ‘been going on for a very long time, since you were a child according to your own admission to probation’.

The judge did warn him over his future behaviour, though, and described the impact his offending had on the young child victims he was watching, who were left ‘humiliated’ and distressed’.

He said: ‘You don’t know how much harm is being caused to these children – it may come out and affect them when they are adults. It’s a very serious situation.

‘By viewing these images you are encouraging these images to be taken as you are a customer. If people like you did not look at them there would be no market for them.

‘The children suffer throughout their lives because of these images and if ever you are thinking of straying then you should keep that in mind.’

Judge Melville ordered Wilcock to a three-year community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation days, as well as to attend a sex offender’s group program. A sexual prevention order was also made and Wilcock was put on the sex offenders register.