ENMORE MAN ANDREW HACK CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN BRITISH POLICE RAID

In February 2019, a disturbing case emerged involving Andrew Hack, a resident of Enmore, who was found to have engaged in the distribution and possession of indecent images of children. The investigation was initiated after an alert from an American law enforcement agency, which led to a joint effort with British police authorities.

It all began when the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children detected suspicious online activity linked to Hack’s internet usage. This activity was traced back to his residence in the small village of Enmore, near Bridgwater, Somerset. The US agency’s alert prompted a raid on Hack’s home, during which authorities uncovered a troubling collection of digital material.

Inside his residence, law enforcement officials discovered more than 1,500 images depicting teenage girls in sexualized poses. These images had been downloaded from the internet, indicating a pattern of ongoing interest and activity. Among these were a small number of more serious images that depicted actual abuse, raising significant concerns about the nature of his online behavior.

Further examination of Hack’s computer revealed search terms that suggested a specific interest in underage girls. During police interviews, the 53-year-old man admitted to engaging in what he described as ‘bingeing’ on these images, acknowledging that he was addicted to viewing such material. Hack expressed remorse for his actions, stating that he was disgusted with himself. He also revealed that he had taken steps to address his behavior by enrolling in courses offered by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, aimed at changing his attitudes towards such material.

Hack faced serious charges, including two counts of distributing indecent images of children and one count of making such images by downloading them. His case was brought before Exeter Crown Court, where Judge Peter Johnson sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. Additionally, Hack was ordered to complete 35 days of rehabilitation programs designed to prevent reoffending.

As part of his sentence, Hack was placed on the sex offenders register for ten years and was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. This order grants authorities the authority to monitor his internet activity for the same period, aiming to prevent further offenses. The judge emphasized that Hack had no prior convictions and had contributed positively to society, but highlighted the severity of his actions based on evidence from US authorities.

Judge Johnson remarked, “You have no previous convictions and have made a positive contribution to society but these matters arise from information received from the US authorities that you uploaded an image to a private chat room. You admitted bingeing on illegal material. You admitted deleting a lot of it before accessing more material and deleting it again, and so forth. It would appear that you were not trying to evade detection, but were seeking to break out of the cycle of offending. It is plain you are aware of the impact on the victims of these images, who are exploited at an extremely impressionable age. The psychological harm remains with them.”

Prosecutor Miss Kelly Scrivener explained that the American agency alerted British police in 2017, leading to a search of Hack’s home on July 19 of that year. It was only after the analysis of the digital material that Hack was interviewed, nearly a year later. During the investigation, authorities found that Hack had distributed two images via the Chatstep website, one of which was classified as the most severe category, depicting serious abuse, while the other fell into a middle category. Experts also discovered 293 accessible images and 1,208 inaccessible images of naked or partially clothed girls in sexual poses on his computer. Evidence of software used to delete files was also present, indicating attempts to conceal his activities.