ABINGDON CHURCH ORGANIST DAVID WICKENS ESCAPES JAIL AFTER MAKING INDECENT IMAGES FROM DVDS
In December 2018, David Wickens, an 82-year-old church organist from Ock Street in Abingdon, found himself at the center of a disturbing case involving the creation of indecent images.Wickens had purchased numerous DVDs through Amazon, a popular online retailer, which included movies primarily from the 1960s and 1970s.
Despite the seemingly innocent nature of these purchases, Wickens engaged in illegal activities by taking hundreds of screenshots from these DVDs, specifically targeting depictions of children that he considered indecent.
These screenshots were then uploaded onto his electronic devices, a criminal act that brought him before Oxford Crown Court.
The court proceedings revealed that police only became aware of the images after detection software, which Wickens was required to use following a previous conviction, flagged the uploads.
This prior conviction in 2013 had resulted in Wickens being placed under a community order, highlighting a troubling pattern of behavior.
During police interviews following his arrest on November 15 of the previous year, Wickens made a startling statement.
He admitted to having an interest in children but attempted to downplay his actions by comparing his attraction to that of sculptors, implying a non-sexual or artistic interest.
His comments did little to sway the court, which was led by Judge Maria Lamb, who expressed her disbelief at Wickens' repeated offenses.
Judge Lamb emphasized the seriousness of the case, stating, “It beggars belief that you found yourself back before the courts again having been subject to a community order.
To say you thought this may have been an acceptable way to go about pursuing your interest, I think is preposterous.
What you were doing was committing a criminal offence, you were breaking the laws which exist to safeguard children.” As part of his sentencing, Wickens was subjected to a community order lasting 36 months.
This order includes a requirement to participate in 20 days of rehabilitation activities and involvement in the Horizon programme, aimed at addressing such behaviors.
Additionally, he was ordered to pay court costs of £200, a victim surcharge, and was mandated to sign the sex offenders register, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and compliance with legal restrictions.
