ANTHONY LUCAS FROM CASTLE CARY SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

In February 2018, a disturbing case unfolded involving Anthony Frank Lucas, a pensioner residing in Castle Cary, who was found guilty of possessing and downloading a significant number of indecent images and videos depicting children being sexually abused. The severity and duration of his offenses spanned over a decade, revealing a deeply troubling pattern of criminal behavior.

Lucas appeared before Somerset Magistrates, where he faced multiple charges related to the possession of indecent material. The court heard that between September 1, 2004, and July 4, 2017, he had downloaded and stored a total of 244 indecent movie clips and nine photographs classified as Category A, indicating the most serious level of abuse. In addition, he admitted to possessing 88 indecent movie clips and 304 photographs in Category B, along with 12 movie clips and 130 photographs in Category C, which are considered less severe but still highly inappropriate.

The investigation into Lucas’s activities was initiated after police linked his IP address to the illegal downloads. Authorities executed a search warrant at his residence, located at The Triangle in Castle Cary. During the raid, Lucas was found attempting to delete the offending material from an Acer laptop placed on his dining room table. Prosecutor Nikki Coombe described the content as depicting children aged between five and twelve years old suffering obvious pain and distress, highlighting the disturbing nature of the images.

When questioned by police, Lucas admitted to downloading the images but denied deriving any sexual gratification from them. However, Judge David Ticehurst dismissed this claim as “utter nonsense,” emphasizing the gravity of the offense and the harm caused to the victims depicted in the material. The judge pointed out that Lucas had daughters of his own, asking whether he could remember their childhoods at ages seven and nine, which coincided with the ages of some of the children in the images he had downloaded.

In a stark and graphic condemnation, Judge Ticehurst described the abuse suffered by the children in the images, making it clear that such acts are committed by “sick perverts” like Lucas. The judge stated that the existence of such images fuels the abuse of real children, and that individuals who enjoy viewing such material are complicit in perpetuating these crimes. He expressed his disgust and sentenced Lucas to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. Additionally, Lucas was ordered to complete 60 days of rehabilitation activities, pay costs of £500, and a victim surcharge of £140.

Furthermore, Lucas was subjected to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years and was required to register as a sex offender for the same period. As he left the courtroom, Judge Ticehurst made a pointed remark, declaring, “You are now recognized as a paedophile and a pervert. The police will be keeping an eye on you,” underscoring the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing monitoring that would follow him.