ANDREW BRITTAIN FROM BIRMINGHAM AND ST NEOTS JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY DISCOVERED IN SURPRISE POLICE RAID

In August 2023, a disturbing case unfolded involving Andrew Brittain, a man with connections to both Birmingham and St Neots, who was ultimately convicted and sentenced for possessing a large collection of indecent images of children. The case came to light after a police operation that uncovered the extent of his illegal activities, leading to his arrest and subsequent prosecution.

Brittain, aged 41, had previously been convicted of similar offenses and was subject to strict legal restrictions, including a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). This order explicitly prohibited him from using the internet at his residence without prior approval from authorities. Despite these restrictions, Brittain was found to have violated the terms of his SHPO, raising serious concerns about his compliance and ongoing risk to the community.

The breach was discovered during a surprise police visit to his then-home located on Stone Hill in St Neots. During this unannounced inspection, officers observed that Brittain was actively using a web browser on his device, which was a clear violation of his court-imposed conditions. When questioned, Brittain reportedly acknowledged the mistake, stating, “It’s a mistake when you do it the first time, but when you do it for a second time, it’s no longer a mistake.”

Following this admission, the police seized his phone for forensic analysis. The digital investigation revealed a shocking collection of 1,165 indecent images, including 77 classified as Category A, the most severe level of child exploitation material. Additionally, there were 298 images in Category B and 790 in Category C, indicating a significant and disturbing accumulation of illegal content.

During police interviews, Brittain admitted to using a web browser associated with accessing the dark web, which was a direct breach of his SHPO conditions. His actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for the restrictions placed upon him and underscored the ongoing threat he posed.

On August 17, at Peterborough Crown Court, Brittain, who was then residing on Jackson Walk in Birmingham, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child and breaching his SHPO. The court sentenced him to a one-year prison term, reflecting the severity of his offenses. Furthermore, he was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order extending for an additional ten years and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a decade, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions to protect the public from potential harm.