BARRY DE LOBEL CHATHAM CAUGHT WITH 1700 CHILD PORN IMAGES IN HIS HOME

In February 2006, authorities uncovered a disturbing cache of illegal material at the residence of Barry De Lobel, a 57-year-old man residing in Chatham. The police investigation revealed that De Lobel possessed an alarming collection of over 1,700 child pornography images stored on DVDs, which were discovered during a search of his home in Brownelow Copse, Walderslade, Chatham.

Officers executed a search warrant on September 7 of the previous year, leading to the discovery of the illicit content concealed within a locked cupboard in a bedroom. The DVDs contained a total of 1,595 images classified at level one, 148 at level two, and three at level three, with the most severe images classified at level five. The presence of such material raised serious concerns about the exploitation and abuse of minors.

During the court proceedings at Maidstone Crown Court, De Lobel maintained that he was not attracted to the images and claimed that the DVDs had been given to him by someone else. However, the judge was unconvinced by his explanation. The presiding judge, Judge Andrew Patience, stated, “There has been no real explanation as to why these discs were not destroyed by you, if you had no interest in them. I believe you kept them because you did have interest in them. It was an affront to common sense to say otherwise.”

The court also heard that De Lobel, who works remotely for a Canadian company, had previously told police that the DVDs contained only adult pornography. When questioned about his credit card details being used on a child porn site in 1999, De Lobel claimed that the account had been used illegally at that time, suggesting that the activity was not his own.

His defense lawyer, Mark Love, pointed out that De Lobel, who admitted to possessing indecent images of children, was not charged with downloading the material. Nonetheless, Judge Patience emphasized the gravity of the offense, stating, “He kept it in a cupboard with adult pornography and didn’t get rid of it. Come on Mr. Love, I didn’t come down with the last shower.”

De Lobel’s personal circumstances were also considered, with his lawyer noting that he was nearing retirement and suffering from a heart condition. Despite this, the judge underscored the seriousness of the crime, remarking, “The consequences of this offence are going to be significant, and he is pilloried by society. The difficulty is he doesn’t perceive he has a problem.”

Judge Patience delivered a stern message about the nature of the images, stating, “Every image is an image of an abused child. I am told that children in this case range from three-years-old to 13-years-old. It only has to be spelled out in a few simple sentences in that way for everyone to understand how grave and how wicked the production of the photographs is and how those who obtain them and take them into their possession like you are doing everything to encourage this continued abuse.”

The judge further warned that such behavior perpetuates ongoing harm, adding, “Somewhere, as I speak, no doubt it is happening. I don’t believe you yet have full insight into what this sort of behaviour amounts to.”

As a result of his conviction, De Lobel was sentenced to nine months in prison. Additionally, he was prohibited from using a computer and was barred from being in the company of children without a supervising adult, reflecting the court’s concern for public safety and the protection of minors from potential harm.