EX-MP ERIC JOYCE HANDED SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGE

Former Member of Parliament Eric Joyce has been given a suspended sentence after admitting to possessing an indecent image of a child. The 59-year-old, who previously served as MP for Falkirk and was a major in the army, received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, along with an order to complete 150 hours of community service. He was found with a film just under a minute long showing the sexual penetration of very young children. Residing in Worlingworth, Suffolk, Joyce had been on bail since his 2018 arrest and had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Ipswich Crown Court. The offence took place between August 2013 and November 2018. During sentencing, Mr Justice Edis stated that Joyce had pleaded guilty to possessing a Category A film depicting child sexual abuse, which lasted slightly less than a minute. The judge highlighted that such abuse occurs because there is demand for these films, implying that without a market, children wouldn’t be harmed. He also noted that Joyce had sought professional help, which may have lessened his impulsive tendencies. Besides the suspended jail term, Joyce was subject to a sexual harm prevention order for an indefinite period, ordered to undertake an 18-day rehabilitation programme, and was ordered to pay £1,800 in prosecution costs. The case emerged after a July court hearing, when it was revealed that the film showed children as young as 12 months old, classifying it as Category A material. Joyce claimed he accessed the material through a spam email. The court acknowledged his history of heavy drinking and his work with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and a psychotherapist. Once a shadow minister for Northern Ireland, Joyce resigned in 2010 after a driving ban, left Labour to serve as an independent MP, and stood down entirely in 2015. He also served in the military for 21 years, achieving the rank of major. The NSPCC issued a statement stressing that the online industry plays a role in enabling such crimes and called on technology companies to do more. The article also mentions recent allegations of sexual misconduct involving other politicians, including Charlie Elphicke and an unnamed Conservative MP under investigation.