ANDREW ROSS FROM NEW MARSKES SHOCKS TEESSIDE WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES SCANDAL

In August 2022, a disturbing case emerged involving Andrew Ross, a 59-year-old resident of New Marske, who has been found guilty of repeatedly searching for and viewing online images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. The case highlights a troubling pattern of behavior that has persisted over many years, despite previous convictions and court orders aimed at curbing such conduct.

Ross's criminal activities came to light after the police's dedicated online paedophile investigation team received intelligence indicating that someone operating from his IP address was actively downloading illegal images. This tip-off prompted an immediate response from law enforcement authorities. On June 3, police officers executed an early morning raid at Ross's residence on Arthur Terrace in New Marske. During the search, they discovered a significant collection of child abuse material stored on his Apple Mac computer. The evidence included graphic images showing a young boy being raped, alongside five indecent images of children aged between 7 and 15 years old.

Further examination of Ross's internet activity revealed that he had been deliberately searching for websites that featured underage children. Prosecutor Shaun Dodds told the court that Ross's online behavior was not a one-time occurrence but part of a persistent pattern. It was also revealed that Ross had a history of similar offenses; he was previously handed a community order in 2002 for the same type of crime. Additionally, he served a 12-month prison sentence in 2017 for possessing child abuse images. Despite these past convictions, Ross continued to breach the terms of sexual harm prevention orders issued to him in 2019 and again in 2021.

Ross, who resides at Arthur Terrace in New Marske, pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children and to breaching a sexual harm prevention order. His trial was scheduled to commence when he decided to admit guilt on the day of the hearing. Standing in the courtroom dressed in a black suit, Ross faced the judge, who did not hold back in condemning his repeated misconduct. Judge Howard Crowson stated, “You have behaved in the same way again. You denied to police that there were illegal images on your computer, but that was a lie.”

In sentencing, Ross was handed a 21-month prison term. The judge also imposed a new sexual harm prevention order, which restricts his access to computers and online content, aiming to prevent further offenses. The court's decision underscores the seriousness of Ross's actions and the ongoing threat posed by individuals who continue to violate protections designed to safeguard children.

Looking back at Ross's criminal history, it is evident that his predilection for child abuse images has been a long-standing issue. In March 2017, he was caught with over 75,000 illegal images, including some of the most severe category of abuse. At that time, Ross, then aged 54 and living in Brotton on Day Terrace, admitted to possessing nearly 77,000 images across five devices seized by police. His collection included 1,843 images classified at the most severe level, including one of a nine-month-old baby. Prosecutor Harry Hadfield emphasized the distress caused to the victims, stating, “There is discernible distress suffered by the children given the child abuse involving adults.”

Ross claimed that he viewed these images between 2013 and 2016, but there was no evidence to suggest he distributed or shared the material. He admitted to three charges of making indecent photographs of children and possessing 23 prohibited images. His previous conviction in York in 2002 resulted in a community rehabilitation order, which included participation in a sex offender program. Following his latest conviction, Ross was sentenced to a year in prison and was subjected to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. This order bans him from unsupervised contact with anyone under 16, restricts his internet use, and controls his possession of storage media. Furthermore, Ross will be barred from working with children and will be required to register as a sex offender, reflecting the ongoing risks associated with his behavior.