DAVID JACKSON FROM WOODMANCOTE ESCAPES PRISON DESPITE NEARLY TWO MILLION CHILD PORN IMAGES

In September 2020, a disturbing case unfolded at Gloucester Crown Court involving David Jackson, a 73-year-old resident of Woodmancote, Dursley. Jackson was found to possess an alarming collection of nearly two million indecent images of children stored across multiple computers at his home. Despite the severity of his offenses, Jackson was sentenced to a two-year prison term, which was suspended due to his fragile health condition.

Judge Ian Lawrie QC expressed his deep concern over the case, stating that Jackson deserved a harsh prison sentence. However, the judge emphasized that Jackson’s underlying health issues, including restricted mobility and other medical concerns, made incarceration a potentially fatal outcome for him. The judge explained, “Because of Jackson’s underlying health issues I have concluded that sending him to prison is akin to giving him a death sentence, so I have no choice but to impose a suspended sentence.”

He further clarified that, under normal circumstances, he would have imposed a custodial sentence without hesitation. Nevertheless, after reviewing a medical report indicating Jackson’s vulnerability, the judge decided that a prison term would pose an unacceptable risk to his health, especially considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “You are therefore highly vulnerable and deserve a severe prison sentence but sending you to jail is not an option in case you contract the Covid-19 virus,” the judge remarked.

Jackson pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the possession and creation of indecent images of children, which spanned from November 3, 2009, to May 9, 2018. The images were categorized into three levels of severity—A, B, and C—and were found on six computers located at his residence. The court was informed that Jackson’s computers contained 587 Category A images, 1,794 Category B images, and a staggering 1,856,704 Category C images. It was also revealed that, during an earlier hearing, the prosecution disclosed that Jackson’s devices held approximately nine million images, although only about 1,859,085 had been analyzed for legal proceedings.

The judge issued a stern warning to Jackson, emphasizing the broader impact of his actions. “You need to reflect on the fact that your activities and your perverse interest in children are perpetuating the suffering of hundreds of young children around the world,” he said. The court was told that Jackson had attempted to justify his possession of these images by claiming they had been downloaded without his knowledge during the process of downloading legitimate material. Prosecutor Charley Pattison highlighted the extensive effort involved in bringing the case to court, noting that Jackson had denied all 17 charges initially, which had led to a planned trial.

Judge Lawrie criticized Jackson’s attitude, stating, “Jackson has a blatant disregard over his responsibility in all this. He can’t evade the situation any longer. He has been ducking and diving for long enough.” The court also learned that Jackson had taken calculated steps to conceal his activities, including assigning names to the images and categorizing them systematically, which suggested an organized library system. The images depicted children aged between two and 15, with some involving acts of vaginal penetration of the youngest victims, highlighting the heinous nature of his crimes.

Despite the gravity of the case, Jackson’s health issues ultimately influenced the court’s decision to suspend his prison sentence, allowing him to avoid immediate incarceration but leaving him under supervision and scrutiny moving forward.