IAN PONTING FROM CAINSCROSS AND GLOUCESTER CAUGHT BREACHING SEX OFFENCE ORDER AT LIBRARY

In August 2011, Ian Ponting, a man with a troubling history linked to child exploitation, found himself at the center of a serious legal breach involving internet misuse at a public library in Gloucester. The incident unfolded amidst ongoing concerns about his previous convictions and the restrictions placed upon him by the court.

Ian Ponting, aged 45 and residing on Wellington Street in Gloucester, had previously been convicted of possessing indecent images of children. His criminal record includes a conviction for 21 charges related to the possession and creation of such images, which spanned from April 2009 to April 2010. His employment history at Stroud College, where he served as a caretaker and later as a cleaning supervisor, became a focal point in the investigation. It was revealed that he had downloaded hundreds of illicit images onto his personal computer, transferred them onto a USB stick, and printed some of these images at the college. Police later discovered these printed images, along with scrapbooks containing the photographs, hidden under his bed during a raid at his home in Cainscross.

On April 26 of the previous year, a student using the college library discovered two indecent images printed on a college printer. The student promptly reported this to staff, prompting police involvement. When authorities arrived at Ponting’s residence, they found the scrapbooks containing the illicit images tucked away under his bed. This discovery further implicated him in ongoing violations related to his previous offenses.

Following his initial conviction, a sexual offences prevention order was issued against Ponting, explicitly prohibiting him from accessing the internet and viewing pornographic or social networking sites. Despite this, evidence presented at Gloucester Crown Court indicated that between May 12 and May 31, on 13 separate occasions, Ponting deliberately accessed the internet facilities at Gloucester’s public library. Prosecutor Joanne Harrison stated, “The defendant was convicted of possessing indecent images of children and a sexual offences prevention order was made. It is the Crown’s case that on 13 different dates between May 12 and May 31 this year, the defendant accessed the internet facilities at the city’s public library and viewed social networking sites. It is our allegation that this was a deliberate breach of the order within two weeks of it having been made.”

During the court proceedings, Ponting did not enter a plea to the charges of breaching the sexual offences prevention order. The court was informed that his actions represented a clear violation of the restrictions imposed upon him, raising serious concerns about his compliance and the potential risk he posed to the community.

Judge Lane, presiding over the case, addressed Ponting directly, condemning his actions. He remarked, “These photographs, to millions of right-thinking decent people, are utterly abhorrent and exploitative.” The judge sentenced Ponting to a 12-month jail term, which was suspended for two years, reflecting the gravity of his breaches and the court’s concern over his continued access to the internet despite previous convictions and court orders.