ANDREW ASPINALL GROOMING PAEDOPHILE FROM GUMLEY JAILED IN LEICESTER

In a case that has finally brought justice after years of legal complications, Andrew Aspinall, a man with a troubling history, has been sentenced to prison for serious offences related to child exploitation. Aspinall, aged 51 and a married father, was found guilty of grooming a 14-year-old boy he contacted via the internet, specifically through the Facebook social networking platform. The incident took place in August of the previous year, and it was during this encounter that Aspinall traveled to Redditch, where he visited the boy at his home. According to court reports, Aspinall's actions escalated to the point where he sat next to the young teenager on his bed, an act that clearly indicated his intent to establish a sexual relationship.

His contact with the boy was initiated online, and it was a relative of the child who eventually returned home to find Aspinall at the residence. Confronted by the relative, Aspinall was compelled to leave the premises immediately. The police were able to trace Aspinall’s whereabouts because he had provided the boy with his mobile phone number, which served as a crucial lead in the investigation. The police’s efforts led to Aspinall’s arrest, and during subsequent searches of his electronic devices, they uncovered evidence of his involvement in downloading indecent images of children. However, one of Aspinall’s computers was encrypted, and he refused to provide the password, leaving authorities unable to access its contents. Experts are still working to find a way into this device.

In total, Aspinall was convicted of multiple offences. He pleaded guilty to grooming the 14-year-old boy and to 12 counts of making indecent images of children, which he downloaded between August 2009 and June 2010. Additionally, he admitted to failing to disclose information to police during an investigation on July 22, which hindered their efforts to access his computer. The court heard that Aspinall’s criminal history includes a conviction from 1988 for gross indecency, highlighting a long-standing pattern of concerning behavior.

Prosecutor Makkan Shoker emphasized the gravity of the case, while defense counsel Simon Thomas sought to mitigate the sentence by highlighting Aspinall’s mental health struggles and past abuse as a child. Thomas argued that Aspinall’s offending was influenced by depression and that he was capable of understanding the harm caused by his actions, given his own experiences of suffering.

At sentencing, Judge Michael Pert QC acknowledged that while Aspinall’s grooming did not escalate to actual sexual activity, his intentions were clearly sexual in nature. The judge stated, “You went to the home of a 14-year-old boy with a view to sexual activity.” As part of his punishment, Aspinall was prohibited from working with children and was subjected to a sexual offences prevention order. This order restricts his future contact with minors and monitors his computer use, which will be closely scrutinized. Furthermore, Aspinall was placed on the sex offenders’ register, ensuring ongoing oversight of his activities.

It is noteworthy that Aspinall’s residence was in Gumley, Leicestershire, a location he moved to nine years prior after escaping prosecution in Scotland for previous child pornography offences. Back in 2001, the Mercury reported that Aspinall was allowed to go free despite police allegedly discovering 7,500 images of child pornography during a raid on his Scottish home. The investigation was linked to the Wonderland Club, which was identified as the world’s largest known child-porn ring. The case was dismissed in court due to procedural issues, specifically the inclusion of an unlisted civilian technician during the police search, a loophole that has since been closed to prevent similar occurrences.

Judge Pert concluded the sentencing by emphasizing the seriousness of Aspinall’s actions, stating that although the grooming did not lead to sexual activity, the intent was clear and reprehensible. Aspinall was thus sentenced to two and a half years in prison, and he will face ongoing restrictions and monitoring as part of his post-conviction conditions.