JAMES PIDGEON FROM GALMPTON INVOLVED IN CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGE SCANDAL NEAR BRIXHAM

In April 2019, authorities uncovered a disturbing case involving James Pidgeon, a pub landlord from Galmpton, who was found to possess an extensive collection of child abuse images on his personal computer. The investigation was initiated after police traced his online activity, leading to a raid on his residence near Brixham.

During the operation, law enforcement officials seized an Apple Mac tower from Pidgeon’s home on Stoke Gabriel Road, Galmpton. Forensic experts examined the device and discovered a staggering total of over 700,000 images stored on the system. However, only a small fraction of these images was scrutinized in detail, yet enough evidence was gathered to establish that Pidgeon had been actively downloading illegal content.

Further analysis of the seized data revealed a total of 1,139 indecent images, some of which fell into the most severe category, depicting child rape. Among these, the most disturbing images showed an adult engaging in penetrative sex with a child estimated to be around six years old. The descriptions of these images by the court described them as shocking, graphic, and depraved, highlighting the severity of the material involved.

James Pidgeon, aged 53, residing on Stoke Gabriel Road in Galmpton, was the licensee of the Weary Ploughman pub located in Churston Ferrers, near Brixham. He pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children. In sentencing, Judge Timothy Rose sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. Additionally, Pidgeon was ordered to participate in the Horizon sex offenders’ programme, a specialized course aimed at rehabilitation.

He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for a period of ten years and was subject to a sexual harm prevention order. This order grants authorities the authority to monitor his internet activity for the next decade, ensuring ongoing oversight of his online behavior. Furthermore, Pidgeon was ordered to pay costs amounting to £480.

During the sentencing, Judge Rose emphasized the gravity of the images found, stating, “Some of these images showed the most shocking, graphic, and depraved abuse of children taking part in sexual activity with adults. Without consumers who access this material, most of it would not exist, and a great deal of child abuse would not happen.”

Prosecutor Mr. Brian Fitzherbert explained that police executed a search warrant at Pidgeon’s home on April 3 of the previous year. The authorities seized the Apple Mac tower, which was subsequently examined. He noted, “Just over 1,000 indecent images of children were found. Once the police reached 1,000, they stopped the examination. Over 700,000 images were not examined or categorized.”

It was also revealed that Pidgeon holds a personal license to operate a pub, and this conviction does not impact his ability to hold such a license. Notably, this is not his first conviction related to indecent images; he previously served a four-week jail sentence in 1998 for a similar offence, indicating a troubling history of such crimes.