GARY DALMAS FROM HEDGE END JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND SORDID IMAGES

In June 2013, a disturbing case emerged involving Gary Dalmas, a 47-year-old resident of Hedge End, Hampshire, who was convicted of possessing and distributing a large collection of indecent images involving young girls. The case came to light after specialist police officers conducted a thorough investigation into online child exploitation and paedophilia, leading to a raid on Dalmas’s home.

During the search, authorities discovered explicit photographs on his computer equipment, including images of Dalmas himself wearing a girl’s underwear. Further examination revealed that he had taken photographs of himself in a girl’s bedroom, where he was seen lying naked on her bed after being invited into her property. These images and the chat room messages he exchanged with others directly contradicted his claims that he had no sexual interest in children, as stated by prosecutor Simon Edwards during the proceedings at Winchester Crown Court.

Dalmas, who resides at Ferndale in Hedge End, admitted to possessing a total of 16 charges related to indecent and extreme images, as well as distributing over 3,000 such images. The material involved young girls aged between five and thirteen. The police investigation revealed that his online activity was part of a disturbing pattern of behavior that included receiving and sharing illicit images through chat rooms, which he admitted began after his relationship with his partner ended two or three years prior.

The court heard that Dalmas had voluntarily confessed to officers about the sordid images stored on his hard drive and computer. His defense lawyer, Michelle Clarke, requested that the court consider a suspended sentence, emphasizing that Dalmas was seeking help and had been receiving treatment at a private foundation. She described him as a lonely individual who had fallen into a world of fetish and fantasy, expressing remorse for his actions.

Clarke explained that Dalmas recognized that taking the photograph in the girl’s house was a gross breach of trust, but emphasized that the images were taken some time ago and that he did not approach the girl directly. She stated, “It was fantasy and he indulged himself, but he made no approach to the girl, and however distasteful what he did, it went no further.”

Judge Keith Cutler sentenced Dalmas to a two-year prison term and imposed a ten-year sex offenders’ program. Additionally, he ordered a sexual offences prevention order, which restricts Dalmas’s use of computers and requires him to make his equipment available for police inspection. The judge’s ruling reflects the seriousness of the offenses and the need to monitor Dalmas’s future conduct to protect the community from potential harm.