DANIEL HINTON'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN NORWICH AND STOWMARKET REVEALED

In a serious development in the ongoing fight against child exploitation, Daniel Hinton, a man with a disturbing history of offenses, appeared before Norwich Crown Court to face charges related to the possession of indecent photographs of children. The court was informed that Hinton, aged 40 and residing on Northumberland Street in Norwich, had pleaded guilty to the crime of making indecent images of minors. The offense was committed between November 27, 2013, and December 14, 2013, during which authorities discovered that he possessed a total of 35 illicit images.

It was also revealed that Hinton had previously served time in prison for a similar offense, highlighting a troubling pattern of behavior. The court decided to adjourn the case until February 11 to allow for a comprehensive report to be prepared, emphasizing the seriousness with which the judicial system is treating this case.

Back in September 2004, Hinton's criminal record was further marred by a conviction for a series of heinous acts against children. At that time, he was sentenced to seven years in prison after admitting to multiple charges involving child abuse. The judge, David Goodin, described Hinton’s actions as 'evil' and emphasized the particularly disgusting nature of his offenses, which had a profoundly degrading and damaging impact on the young victims.

Hinton, then 30 years old and working as a TV repairman in Stowupland Road, Stowmarket, faced a total of 11 charges of indecent assault, six charges of indecency with a child, 16 counts of making indecent photographs of children, and one charge of possessing such images. The court heard that these offenses spanned over a decade and involved four boys and one girl.

Prosecutor Simon Spence detailed the severity of the abuse, stating, “It concerns the serial abuse of no fewer than five children over a period of time.” He further explained that Hinton had repeatedly assaulted one child, sometimes two to three times weekly, and had even recorded some of the abuse on video.

During the police investigation, officers seized Hinton’s computer equipment, which he had stored in his loft. A hard drive was found to contain an alarming number of images—specifically, 12,852 photographs depicting children being abused.

Defense lawyer Ian James argued that the images had not been distributed and that there was no commercial element involved. He also noted that Hinton had not used force or threats during the abuse but had, on occasion, done favors for some of the children in exchange for their cooperation.

Judge Goodin sentenced Hinton to a seven-year prison term, emphasizing the need for a lengthy custodial sentence to safeguard vulnerable children. Additionally, he imposed an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which prohibits Hinton from communicating with children under 16 or being present on premises where children are present. The court also ordered the seizure and destruction of all the seized materials, underscoring the gravity of the crimes committed by Daniel Hinton in Norwich and Stowmarket.