ANDREW PRESTON'S HORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE IN RATBY: COURT SENTENCE REVEALS SHOCKING OFFENSES

In April 2010, a disturbing case emerged involving Andrew Preston, a man from Ratby, who was found guilty of heinous crimes related to child exploitation and abuse. The court proceedings laid bare the extent of Preston's criminal activities, which included the possession of an alarming number of indecent images and the filming of himself engaging in abusive acts against a child.

Andrew John Preston, aged 31 at the time, was subjected to a comprehensive sentencing at Leicester Crown Court. The court handed down an indeterminate public protection sentence, with a minimum term of five years, reflecting the severity of his offenses. This decision was influenced by Preston's prior convictions, which included a 15-month jail sentence in 2004 for abusing an eight-year-old boy and accessing child pornography online. Despite his previous punishment, Preston successfully petitioned the Court of Appeal to reduce his sentence to a three-year community order, promising cooperation with rehabilitation efforts. However, he failed to adhere to these commitments, and without undergoing treatment, he reoffended.

Preston, who was living on Mill Drive in Ratby, admitted to multiple serious charges. These included two counts of sexually assaulting a schoolboy and one count of inciting the boy to engage in sexual activity, all occurring between July 2008 and June of the following year. Additionally, he confessed to filming the indecent acts, further compounding the gravity of his crimes.

The prosecution, led by Janet Hall, detailed how police uncovered Preston's disturbing collection during a raid at his home in June of the previous year. Officers discovered a vast library of downloaded indecent images and videos depicting minors, some of which Preston had distributed to others. The police seized his computer equipment, but when they returned a month later, Preston had acquired a new computer and continued to access child pornography, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the law and the safety of children.

Further reports revealed that Preston did not believe his actions were harmful or illegal, dismissing the laws as