ANDREW BLANKLEY'S SHOCKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE IN BURTON AND STAFFORD

In December 2016, the town of Burton found itself once again at the center of a disturbing criminal case involving Andrew Blankley, a 34-year-old man with a troubling history of possessing illegal images. The case unfolded at Stafford Crown Court, where Blankley faced serious allegations related to the possession of prohibited material involving children and extreme pornography.

Earlier in the year, in March, Blankley had already appeared before the court for similar offences. At that time, he was sentenced to a community order and was placed under a sexual harm prevention order, which restricted his internet usage and allowed authorities to monitor his online activities. Despite these measures, authorities discovered that Blankley had continued to possess illegal content.

The recent court proceedings revealed that Blankley was found in possession of a staggering 1,185 animated images of children that were deemed prohibited. Additionally, he admitted to possessing 51 still images and 81 videos depicting extreme pornography, including disturbing scenes involving sexual acts with animals such as dogs and a horse. These revelations prompted the court to take a closer look at his case and the adequacy of his supervision.

Judge Carmel Wall, presiding over the case, decided to defer sentencing for a period of six months. She explained that this delay was due to the fact that Blankley's supervision had only been imposed in March, and he was scheduled to attend a sex offenders' rehabilitation program. The judge highlighted an aggravating factor in the case: Blankley had not voluntarily disclosed the equipment on which the illegal images were found, raising concerns about his transparency and cooperation.

While Judge Wall acknowledged that Blankley appeared to be making some efforts to address his problematic behavior, she issued a stern warning that any failure to cooperate further or any subsequent offences could result in a prison sentence. The existing community order, along with the sexual harm prevention order and the notification requirements for sex offenders, both set to last for five years, remain in effect.

During the investigation, police and probation officers visited Blankley's residence at his parents' home in Burton to monitor his computer devices. Prosecutor Anthony Longworth reported that two laptops belonging to Blankley, along with his mobile phone and his mother’s laptop, showed no breaches of the existing orders. However, when officers requested access to his bedroom, Blankley revealed the presence of a desktop computer. A review of its browsing history uncovered the illegal images, including animated content involving teenage girls, which had been downloaded prior to his March sentencing but while he was still on bail for previous offences.

Defense lawyer Mark Moore argued that Blankley had engaged with probation services and believed that viewing extreme pornography or animated images of children was not morally wrong because no real children were involved. Despite this, the court was informed that the material was illegal and highly disturbing.

Judge Wall is scheduled to review Blankley's case and potential sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court in June of the following year, emphasizing the seriousness of the offences and the importance of ongoing supervision and rehabilitation efforts.