SHOCKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE INVOLVING IAN DAVISON IN LIVERSEDGE
| Red Rose Database
Liversedge Child Sexual Abuser
In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Liversedge, Ian Davison, aged 61, was sentenced to six months in prison after being found guilty of possessing an extensive collection of indecent images of children, as well as secretly filming minors in his neighborhood. The case, which was heard at Leeds Crown Court, revealed the disturbing extent of Davison's activities and the serious nature of his offenses.
According to court records, police executed a search warrant at Davison’s residence on Union Road in Liversedge in September 2011. During the search, officers uncovered a staggering total of more than 21,525 indecent images and videos depicting children. The images were classified into various levels of severity, with over 6,000 falling into the most serious categories, levels three, four, and five. These categories are designated for the most explicit and harmful material, highlighting the gravity of Davison’s possession.
Further investigation revealed that Davison, who had previously taken a course in photography, had also secretly filmed children playing outside his home. Among the items seized was a memory stick labeled ‘The Street,’ which contained footage of children engaged in outdoor activities in the vicinity of his residence. Police reports indicated that Davison admitted to deriving a “buzz” from filming the children, although the identities of the minors in the footage remain unknown.
During the court proceedings, Richard Butters, the prosecutor, detailed the findings, emphasizing the disturbing nature of the material. Davison was charged with 21 counts of making indecent photographs of children and two counts of taking indecent photographs of children. The court heard that the images and videos included some of the most severe categories, underscoring the seriousness of his crimes.
Davison, who resides on Union Road in Liversedge, pleaded guilty to all charges. His defense attorney, Tony Kellbrick, provided context for Davison’s actions, explaining that he had led a lonely life and turned to pornography as a way to fill a void caused by a lack of normal human contact. Kellbrick noted that Davison’s initial interest was in adult pornography, but it gradually escalated to the illegal and deeply troubling collection of images involving children.
Judge Geoffrey Marson, QC, addressed the court and expressed concern over the potential impact of the case on the local community. He stated, “One of the aspects of this particular case is there is publicity, and in that publicity people will know that someone in their street has been photographing children and will no doubt be concerned as to whether their child was one of those that was photographed.”
He further condemned the nature of the images, saying, “No words of mine can express the distress and degradation brought upon those children. You have contributed to their distress and misery by downloading as you did. In many ways it is a sad case, but in a case where there are so many images, it is quite impossible to pass over it without imposing an immediate custodial sentence.”
Earlier in July 2013, Davison had already admitted to possessing over 21,500 child abuse images and films, including footage taken from the street. He appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded guilty to 23 charges related to making and taking indecent images. The police investigation traced the source of the illegal material to a website hosting child pornography, with one of the IP addresses linked to Davison’s home. The authorities seized his computers and confirmed that he had been viewing and downloading such material since at least 2009.
Prosecutor Linda Fowler revealed that among the images seized, 421 were classified at the highest level of severity, and approximately 350 movies of children were also recovered. She added that some of the footage involved children filmed from the street, further highlighting the invasive and criminal nature of Davison’s actions.
Davison was remanded to appear at Leeds Crown Court for sentencing scheduled for August 15. He was granted unconditional bail pending the hearing, and the case continues to draw attention due to the disturbing details uncovered during the investigation.
According to court records, police executed a search warrant at Davison’s residence on Union Road in Liversedge in September 2011. During the search, officers uncovered a staggering total of more than 21,525 indecent images and videos depicting children. The images were classified into various levels of severity, with over 6,000 falling into the most serious categories, levels three, four, and five. These categories are designated for the most explicit and harmful material, highlighting the gravity of Davison’s possession.
Further investigation revealed that Davison, who had previously taken a course in photography, had also secretly filmed children playing outside his home. Among the items seized was a memory stick labeled ‘The Street,’ which contained footage of children engaged in outdoor activities in the vicinity of his residence. Police reports indicated that Davison admitted to deriving a “buzz” from filming the children, although the identities of the minors in the footage remain unknown.
During the court proceedings, Richard Butters, the prosecutor, detailed the findings, emphasizing the disturbing nature of the material. Davison was charged with 21 counts of making indecent photographs of children and two counts of taking indecent photographs of children. The court heard that the images and videos included some of the most severe categories, underscoring the seriousness of his crimes.
Davison, who resides on Union Road in Liversedge, pleaded guilty to all charges. His defense attorney, Tony Kellbrick, provided context for Davison’s actions, explaining that he had led a lonely life and turned to pornography as a way to fill a void caused by a lack of normal human contact. Kellbrick noted that Davison’s initial interest was in adult pornography, but it gradually escalated to the illegal and deeply troubling collection of images involving children.
Judge Geoffrey Marson, QC, addressed the court and expressed concern over the potential impact of the case on the local community. He stated, “One of the aspects of this particular case is there is publicity, and in that publicity people will know that someone in their street has been photographing children and will no doubt be concerned as to whether their child was one of those that was photographed.”
He further condemned the nature of the images, saying, “No words of mine can express the distress and degradation brought upon those children. You have contributed to their distress and misery by downloading as you did. In many ways it is a sad case, but in a case where there are so many images, it is quite impossible to pass over it without imposing an immediate custodial sentence.”
Earlier in July 2013, Davison had already admitted to possessing over 21,500 child abuse images and films, including footage taken from the street. He appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded guilty to 23 charges related to making and taking indecent images. The police investigation traced the source of the illegal material to a website hosting child pornography, with one of the IP addresses linked to Davison’s home. The authorities seized his computers and confirmed that he had been viewing and downloading such material since at least 2009.
Prosecutor Linda Fowler revealed that among the images seized, 421 were classified at the highest level of severity, and approximately 350 movies of children were also recovered. She added that some of the footage involved children filmed from the street, further highlighting the invasive and criminal nature of Davison’s actions.
Davison was remanded to appear at Leeds Crown Court for sentencing scheduled for August 15. He was granted unconditional bail pending the hearing, and the case continues to draw attention due to the disturbing details uncovered during the investigation.