CARMINE DE VITA FROM LINSADE SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE VIDEOS AT LUTON CROWN COURT

In September 2019, a disturbing case unfolded involving Carmine De Vita, a former university lecturer from Linslade, who was found guilty of possessing and downloading a large collection of child abuse images and videos. The case was brought to light after police investigations revealed the extent of his involvement in accessing highly illegal content.

De Vita, aged 58, appeared before Luton Crown Court for sentencing, where he pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the creation and possession of indecent images of children. The court heard that he had downloaded hundreds of videos and images depicting child abuse, including the horrifying rape of a baby, a detail that Judge Steven Evans described as “disgusting.”

The police had initially raided De Vita’s residence on January 18, 2018, after receiving intelligence that an IP address linked to his home was being used to access child abuse websites. The search was conducted at his property on Rosebery Avenue, Linslade, and during the raid, officers seized a mobile phone and a computer. These devices were subsequently examined by the force’s Digital Forensic Unit, which uncovered a disturbing cache of illegal material: 520 Category A images, representing the most severe and explicit content, along with over 400 images classified as Category B and C.

During police interviews, De Vita admitted that the devices seized were indeed his and not anyone else’s. He expressed shock at the volume of illegal content found, claiming he was only aware of one file on his phone and about 30 on his computer. His responses suggested a lack of awareness of the full extent of his actions, though the evidence clearly indicated otherwise.

De Vita’s professional life was significantly impacted by the case. He was dismissed from his position as a senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Bedfordshire in the same month as his arrest. The university has since removed all traces of his employment from their website, and they declined to comment when approached by Luton Today.

At the sentencing hearing, the court also considered the imposition of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which was granted for a period of ten years. De Vita was sentenced to 20 months in prison and was ordered to have his IT equipment destroyed to prevent further misuse. The judge expressed dissatisfaction with the initial psychiatric report and ordered a second assessment to be conducted on August 2, to better understand De Vita’s mental state.

Attempts by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to keep De Vita’s name and address confidential through a press banning order were rejected by the judge. The court clarified that there was no legislation in place to prevent the publication of his personal details, meaning that his identity and address are now publicly accessible, raising concerns about his privacy and safety.