BRIAN EPPS FROM HAXBY CAUGHT WITH CHILD PORN AND BLOCKING SOFTWARE IN SHOCKING CRIMES

In a series of disturbing revelations, Brian Epps, a 75-year-old resident of Haxby, has been found guilty of serious criminal offenses related to child exploitation and attempts to evade police investigations. The case, which has garnered significant attention from law enforcement and the local community, underscores the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in combating online child abuse and the tactics used by offenders to conceal their illicit activities.

On April 13, 2019, police officers conducted an unannounced inspection of Epps’s property following suspicions that he had been searching for and viewing illegal images of children online. The investigation was initiated after a police officer, suspecting Epps’s involvement in such activities, decided to carry out a surprise visit to his residence in Haxby. During this visit, forensic experts attempted to examine the contents of Epps’s computers to gather evidence of his online behavior. However, they encountered a significant obstacle: the presence of specialized software installed by Epps himself, designed explicitly to block police and forensic access to his digital files.

Despite Epps’s claims that he was unaware of the software’s existence, the evidence suggested otherwise. Epps was under police surveillance because he was subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) issued in 2013, following his previous conviction for prolonged sexual abuse of children, which resulted in a four-year prison sentence. The authorities had been monitoring him closely to prevent further offenses. The software’s purpose was to prevent investigators from uncovering any illicit material or online activity, indicating an attempt to conceal his actions.

Further investigations revealed that Epps had failed to declare a computer during subsequent police visits, including one on November 3, 2020, and again on April 14, 2021. The latter visit uncovered that he had not only kept a computer hidden from authorities but also continued to possess and potentially access illegal content. The police found that Epps had deliberately failed to provide the necessary passwords or access codes to unlock the software, which was a breach of the conditions set by the SHPO.

Judge Simon Hickey, presiding over the case at York Crown Court, expressed his firm stance on the matter. He stated, “I have no hesitation in saying you knew exactly what was on the computer,” emphasizing the defendant’s awareness of the illegal content and his deliberate efforts to hide it. Epps was subsequently sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay £600 in prosecution costs, which he must settle by February 22 following his release. The court also confirmed that the existing SHPO would remain in effect, continuing to restrict Epps’s activities and monitor his behavior.

In addition to the digital crimes, a more disturbing aspect of Epps’s criminal history was revealed. In October 2013, authorities uncovered that Epps had kept indecent photographs of children he had abused over a span of decades. These images were not only stored digitally but also displayed on the walls of his home in Haxby, a fact brought to light when workmen visiting his property noticed the disturbing pictures. The images depicted victims he had sexually assaulted, including a girl he abused for five years starting when she was just five years old, and her brother, who was in his early teens at the time.

Judge Stephen Ashurst, the Recorder of York, addressed Epps directly during sentencing, stating, “It all happened, of course, a long time ago. However, the seriousness of what happened is not diminished by the passage of time. Whilst you have been able to move on in your life and you have had the freedom to do so, both complainants in this case have had to live with their experiences of what you did when they were children.”

At 68 years old, Epps admitted to nine charges of indecent assault, one charge of indecency with a child, and four counts of possessing or taking indecent images of children. The court heard that the victims, now adults, had suffered long-lasting emotional trauma. The girl described feeling “awful” during her abuse, while her brother found the experience “creepy,” both of them unable to confide in their parents at the time. The girl also wrongly believed that her silence was somehow responsible for her brother’s abuse, which compounded her feelings of guilt and shame. Both victims struggled to trust others after the incidents.

In mitigation, Epps’s defense lawyer, Taryn Turner, highlighted that since the abuse, her client had led a reclusive life, never marrying and living alone in what was described as a “tip” of a house. She emphasized that Epps was remorseful and ashamed of his past actions, acknowledging the gravity of his crimes. Despite his efforts to move on, the court made it clear that the severity of his offenses warranted a substantial prison sentence, reflecting the profound impact on his victims and the community’s need for justice.