CHRISTOPHER LOADES FROM MAIDENBOWER CRAWLEY ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE CHILD AND ANIMAL PORN ONCE BEING DISCOVERED

In June 2014, a Crawley man named Christopher Loades was sentenced at Hove Crown Court after admitting to possessing indecent images and videos involving children and animals. Loades, 50, from Stone Court in Maidenbower, pleaded guilty to creating four indecent images of children and an indecent film of a child, as well as possessing extreme pornographic images depicting bestiality, specifically a sexual act between a person and a dog. The offenses occurred between January 2012 and June 2013.

During the court proceedings, defense counsel Sushil Kumar argued that Loades’s images were less severe than those typically seen in similar cases, stating, "One of the images shows an adult female and a juvenile female. The back of both the females can be seen, with the adult positioned over the child. This is no more than posing, there is no sexual action involved." Although the children in the images were not teenagers, Mr. Kumar claimed they were "not very young," emphasizing that the crime was not highly sophisticated and that Loades had downloaded these images. He added, "He has expressed remorse and he remains very remorseful for what he has done."

Prosecutor Mark Robinson requested that the court order the destruction of the computer hard drive where the images and videos were stored. However, Loades’s legal representative opposed this demand entirely. Mr. Kumar explained, "Mr. Loades is concerned by the forfeiture and destruction of the hard drive because he has some particularly valuable images of sentimental value of his son and his family. He would like to keep these."

Judge Paul Tain determined that if Loades agrees to fund the police’s efforts to transfer the legally stored images to another device—provided the process is feasible—the court would allow that, with the remainder of the hard drive being destroyed.

Ultimately, Loades was sentenced to an eight-month incarceration, suspended for two years, and placed under supervision for the same period. The judge also imposed a five-year sexual offences prevention order barring Loades from using any device that grants internet access. Additionally, Loades, who is unemployed, was ordered to pay court costs of £320 and a victim surcharge of £100.

A Sussex Police spokesperson stated that authorities had raided Loades’s residence following a tip-off about the distribution of indecent images of children. The police survey of his laptop revealed multiple images classified from level 3 to the most extreme level 5.

Earlier in May 2014, Loades admitted to making indecent images of children and possessing disturbing images of sexual acts involving dogs. He pleaded guilty on April 10 to three charges: two related to creating indecent images of a child and one concerning possession of extreme images depicting sexual acts with animals. The court was initially set to sentence him that Thursday, but negotiations about a sexual offences prevention order caused a delay until May 30.

During the period from January 23, 2012, to June 20, 2013, Loades made four indecent images of children and filmed a child engaging in abusive behavior. The third charge involved possession of extreme images of a person engaged in sexual activity with dogs, which were also stored during this timeframe. Loades remains on unconditional bail ahead of his upcoming sentencing hearing.