ALASTAIR CLARK FROM HELMSHORE AND OSWALDTWISTLE SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES
| Red Rose Database
Helmshore Oswaldtwistle Child Sexual Abuser
In a case that has shocked the local communities of Helmshore and Oswaldtwistle, Alastair Clark, a 49-year-old resident of Free Lane in Helmshore, was found guilty of serious criminal offenses involving the possession and distribution of indecent images of a young girl. The incident came to light after Clark pleaded guilty to five counts of making indecent photographs of a child during a hearing at Preston Crown Court in April of this year.
Following his guilty plea, Clark was sentenced to a six-month prison term, which was suspended for two years. Additionally, he was placed under a supervision order for the same period, mandated to attend specialized sex offender rehabilitation programs, and prohibited from being in the company of children under the age of 16 without adult supervision for a decade. These measures aimed to protect the community and prevent any future offenses.
Clark’s partner, Alina Bibby, a 57-year-old teacher working in a reception class, faced similar charges. She also pleaded guilty to multiple counts, including five counts of distributing indecent images, and received a comparable sentence. Both individuals’ legal representatives challenged the severity of Clark’s sentence at London’s Court of Appeal, arguing that the six-month term was excessively harsh and unjustified in principle. They contended that Clark’s punishment should have been less severe than Bibby’s, especially considering their assertion that Bibby’s conduct was more egregious.
During the appeal hearing, it was highlighted that the restrictions imposed on Clark, particularly the ban from being with children unsupervised, were adversely affecting his relationship with his own children, whom he was now unable to see without supervision. However, Mr. Justice Butterfield, presiding alongside Lord Justice Hooper, dismissed these arguments. He emphasized that the difference in the severity of their offenses was minimal, describing the disparity as “vanishingly small,” and reaffirmed that the original sentence was justified.
The court also considered a pre-sentence report which indicated that, without appropriate treatment, Clark, who was previously considered to be of good character, posed a “significant risk of harm to children.” The investigation revealed disturbing details about Clark and Bibby’s relationship, which was characterized by a “secret deviant sexual fantasy” involving the abuse of young children. This disturbing pattern reportedly developed after they embarked on a five-year affair in the late 1990s, during which they both worked at the same school in Oswaldtwistle.
Further evidence presented in court detailed how Bibby had sent Clark text messages containing images of a girl under five years old. The police investigation was triggered when Clark visited a Carphone Warehouse branch in September 2006 to exchange a broken phone. A shop assistant, noticing suspicious images during data transfer, alerted authorities. Subsequent police searches uncovered numerous indecent images of a young girl on Clark’s phone, which had been sent by Bibby. During his time in custody, Bibby also sent Clark a “grossly obscene” text message, discussing the idea of taking a class of children for physical education, further illustrating the disturbing nature of their relationship and actions.
Following his guilty plea, Clark was sentenced to a six-month prison term, which was suspended for two years. Additionally, he was placed under a supervision order for the same period, mandated to attend specialized sex offender rehabilitation programs, and prohibited from being in the company of children under the age of 16 without adult supervision for a decade. These measures aimed to protect the community and prevent any future offenses.
Clark’s partner, Alina Bibby, a 57-year-old teacher working in a reception class, faced similar charges. She also pleaded guilty to multiple counts, including five counts of distributing indecent images, and received a comparable sentence. Both individuals’ legal representatives challenged the severity of Clark’s sentence at London’s Court of Appeal, arguing that the six-month term was excessively harsh and unjustified in principle. They contended that Clark’s punishment should have been less severe than Bibby’s, especially considering their assertion that Bibby’s conduct was more egregious.
During the appeal hearing, it was highlighted that the restrictions imposed on Clark, particularly the ban from being with children unsupervised, were adversely affecting his relationship with his own children, whom he was now unable to see without supervision. However, Mr. Justice Butterfield, presiding alongside Lord Justice Hooper, dismissed these arguments. He emphasized that the difference in the severity of their offenses was minimal, describing the disparity as “vanishingly small,” and reaffirmed that the original sentence was justified.
The court also considered a pre-sentence report which indicated that, without appropriate treatment, Clark, who was previously considered to be of good character, posed a “significant risk of harm to children.” The investigation revealed disturbing details about Clark and Bibby’s relationship, which was characterized by a “secret deviant sexual fantasy” involving the abuse of young children. This disturbing pattern reportedly developed after they embarked on a five-year affair in the late 1990s, during which they both worked at the same school in Oswaldtwistle.
Further evidence presented in court detailed how Bibby had sent Clark text messages containing images of a girl under five years old. The police investigation was triggered when Clark visited a Carphone Warehouse branch in September 2006 to exchange a broken phone. A shop assistant, noticing suspicious images during data transfer, alerted authorities. Subsequent police searches uncovered numerous indecent images of a young girl on Clark’s phone, which had been sent by Bibby. During his time in custody, Bibby also sent Clark a “grossly obscene” text message, discussing the idea of taking a class of children for physical education, further illustrating the disturbing nature of their relationship and actions.