DAVID DICKINSON FROM WELLINGTON ESCAPES JAIL AFTER CHILD AND BESTIALITY PORN DISCOVERY

In May 2018, a man from Wellington named David Dickinson narrowly avoided imprisonment after being found guilty of possessing and distributing indecent images involving children and bestiality. The case was heard at Taunton Crown Court, where Judge David Ticehurst delivered a stern warning about the dangers associated with viewing such material.

David Dickinson, aged 27 and residing on Mantle Street in Wellington, appeared before the court to face charges related to his online activities. He pleaded guilty to three counts of creating indecent images and one count of distribution. The prosecution, led by Rebecca Bradberry, outlined the circumstances leading to his arrest and the evidence collected against him.

According to the prosecutor, Dickinson was taken into custody on January 17 of that year following a police raid at his residence. The raid was conducted by officers from Avon and Somerset police, who had acted on information indicating that devices linked to Dickinson had been used to access and view illegal images. The police had previously received intelligence suggesting his involvement in viewing child abuse material and bestiality images.

During the search, authorities recovered two mobile phones from Dickinson’s home. Shortly after the raid, Dickinson contacted the police voluntarily and admitted to viewing such disturbing images on his devices. The evidence collected from his phones was extensive: one device contained 184 images, including two classified as Category A (the most severe), two as Category B, and six as Category C. Additionally, there were 174 images depicting bestiality and a single Category A video. The second device also held a small number of child abuse images and six images related to bestiality.

In his police interview, Dickinson provided full and frank admissions, revealing that he had been addicted to pornography for many years. He explained that his addiction had caused him to lose touch with what was considered normal and legal. He recounted a history of excessive spending on sex chat lines, which resulted in a £3,000 phone bill when he was younger. The advent of smartphones allowed him to search for such material more discreetly, leading to a resurgence of his addiction.

Judge Ticehurst addressed Dickinson directly during sentencing, emphasizing the seriousness of his actions. He stated, “If there was ever an illustration of the danger and damage viewing pornography can cause, you are it. You lost touch with normality and started to seek out more and more extreme images. But any reasonable person would have realized the images you were looking at were causing suffering to others. You should be thoroughly ashamed of the behaviour that you engaged in.”

As part of his sentence, Dickinson was given a three-year community order. This included a 90-day sex offenders’ programme, 50 days of rehabilitation activities, and 100 hours of unpaid work. Furthermore, he was subjected to a five-year sexual harm prevention order and will be registered as a sex offender for the same period. He was also ordered to pay costs amounting to £85.

Overall, the case highlights the ongoing concerns surrounding the possession and distribution of illegal and harmful online content, and the legal consequences faced by those involved in such activities, even when jail time is avoided.