ANTHONY SCALES FROM ALLESTREE AND MALVERN SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local communities of Allestree and Malvern, Anthony Scales, a 64-year-old man, was found guilty of possessing a large collection of indecent images of children. The investigation began when police received information linking an internet account to the download of highly disturbing material. Authorities traced the account to Scales’ residence on Home Farm Drive in Allestree, Derby, leading to a thorough search of his electronic devices.

During the search, law enforcement officials discovered more than 1,000 illicit images depicting young girls as young as eight being subjected to violent abuse. The images were stored across three electronic devices, which were seized for detailed analysis. The investigation revealed that between September 2013 and June 2019, Scales had viewed over 1,500 such images, highlighting a prolonged period of engagement with this repulsive material.

Throughout the court proceedings, the prosecution highlighted the disturbing nature of the content, noting that Scales used the online pseudonym “I’m a paedophile 123.” Search terms associated with the case included “Lolita” and “pre-teen,” indicating a specific interest in very young girls. The images included some of the most severe categories of abuse, with one particularly graphic example showing a girl aged between 10 and 12 with her underwear pulled down, exposing her private parts to the camera. The most heinous images, which could not be publicly described, involved the rape of very young children.

In court, the defendant’s legal team attempted to justify his actions by claiming that his behaviour was motivated by gender dysphoria, as Scales now identifies as a woman. However, the presiding judge, Nirmal Shant QC, dismissed this explanation, emphasizing that the sexual gratification derived from viewing these images was the true motivation behind his actions. The judge stated, “You plainly have difficulties with your gender but in addition to that you have an addiction to young children. In your pre-sentence report, it seems to me you sought to minimise what you have done, and you present a worrying scenario to the court. This is a very serious matter, and there has been a sustained period over which you viewed these images. In my view, your sexual identity was not the cause of you viewing these images. You received sexual gratification viewing them.”

Judge Shant sentenced Scales to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to register as a sex offender for the next ten years. Additionally, he was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and was mandated to complete 200 hours of unpaid community service. The case underscores the ongoing threat posed by individuals who engage in the possession and distribution of child abuse images, and it highlights the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to combat such heinous crimes.