BRIAN JOHNSON OF BROADSTAIRS AVOIDS JAIL AFTER COURT DELAYS IN KENT CASE

In May 2021, a paedophile from Broadstairs was spared immediate prison time after a lengthy delay in prosecuting a police investigation. Brian Johnson, 65, of Vale Road, believed he was sending explicit messages, images of himself, and pornography to who he thought were 13-year-old girls. However, in reality, he was communicating with undercover police officers online in 2017.

Johnson was arrested in December 2017, but it wasn’t until January 2021 that he was officially charged. Last week, a judge expressed that Johnson should have faced immediate imprisonment but noted the significant delays meant he would serve his sentence within the community.

Judge Simon James stated, "In 2017 you were arrested following sexual communications on the internet with people you believed to be 13-year-old girls, which transpired to be undercover police officers. If these offences had been brought to court in a timely manner, only an immediate period of imprisonment would be justified."

He added, "These matters were disclosed to the police as long ago as 2017. It seems to me it was the most straightforward of investigations, and it has taken to 2021 to be before the court, which does not seem to be justified on the face of it." The judge described the delay as an "unconscionable delay," prompting Johnson to respond with a simple "Thank you," and he was seen nodding during the remarks.

The court heard that Johnson turned to viewing child sexual abuse images after his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This personal crisis coincided with his retirement from his career as an aircraft engineer, leading to significant stress, as explained during mitigation.

Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual communication with a child at an early stage and also admitted to attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity and producing an indecent photograph of a child.

As part of his sentence, Judge James handed Johnson 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, along with 20 rehabilitation activity days. He is also subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and required to comply with notification obligations.