DEREK BROWN FROM GOSPORT ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE CHILD ABUSE IMAGE OFFENSES AT PORTSMOUTH CROWN COURT
In a recent development at Portsmouth Crown Court, Derek Brown, a man from Gosport, narrowly avoided imprisonment despite being involved in serious offences related to the possession and distribution of child abuse images.Brown, aged 56, had previously been convicted in October 2020 for possessing nearly 100 disturbing images depicting children in sexual acts.
At that time, he admitted to being sexually aroused by viewing these images, which included some of children as young as two years old.
His previous sentence included a one-year jail term suspended for two years, a fine of £1,000, and costs amounting to £420.
Additionally, he was subject to a sexual harm prevention order aimed at restricting his access to such material.
Fast forward to the latest court proceedings, Brown was called back to court after breaching the conditions of his previous orders.
The court heard that he had once again fallen foul of the law by breaching his sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements.
Specifically, Brown admitted to deleting WhatsApp messages after communicating with an individual considered to be vulnerable on July 9, 2021.
This act was a breach of the order, which mandated him to inform police of any new contact or address changes.
Furthermore, he failed to notify authorities of a new bank card during a visit on July 5, 2021, and did not declare his new address during a police visit.
During a voluntary interview, Brown disclosed details about a new bank card, which he was also supposed to report within three days of receipt.
Judge Timothy Mousley KC presided over the case and, despite acknowledging the deliberate nature of Brown’s breaches, decided not to send him to prison.
The judge commended Brown’s cooperation and prompt admission of guilt, but also emphasized that the potential harm or risk associated with his actions remains a concern.
The court noted that Brown had not committed any further offences since July 2021, but warned that there was still work to be done in addressing his behaviour.
As part of his sentence, Brown was given a 24-month community order, which includes 30 days of rehabilitation activities, along with a fine of £100.
Earlier, in October 2020, Brown’s disturbing possession of child abuse images was detailed in court.
Police found him with nearly 100 images, some depicting children as young as two years old being subjected to sexual acts.
Brown had attempted to conceal his collection using specialized software, but his efforts did not prevent his arrest.
The images were categorized into different levels of severity: 19 Category A images, which are the most extreme, 29 Category B images, and 48 Category C images.
Brown admitted to possessing these indecent images of children, with the offences spanning from November 2016 to February 2019.
His arrest followed an investigation into his online activities, including sending images via an adult chatroom called Kick.
Police subsequently searched his residence, uncovering the images on his laptop and iPhone.
Prosecutor Edward Warren highlighted Brown’s admission that he was aroused by the images he possessed.
Judge David Melville QC described the offences as 'awful' and emphasized the serious abuse inflicted on the children depicted.
Despite the gravity of the crimes, the judge acknowledged that if Brown had contested the charges, he would have been sentenced to immediate jail.
Instead, he received a one-year jail sentence, suspended for two years, along with a fine of £1,000 and costs of £420.
Brown was also placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to prevent further offences and protect the public from potential harm.
