JONATHAN SWORD FROM HALESOWEN ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE HORRIFIC CHILD AND ANIMAL ABUSE IMAGES

In October 2016, a disturbing case emerged involving Jonathan Sword, a 54-year-old resident of Halesowen, who was found to possess a horrifying collection of indecent images of children, as well as material depicting sexual torture and bestiality. Despite the severity of the crimes, Sword narrowly avoided imprisonment, receiving a suspended sentence that allowed him to avoid immediate jail time.

Jonathan Sword was not only known locally for owning and operating the Phoenix Scalextric Circuit located on Jill Lane, but he also managed a children’s party company. His dual roles in the community made the revelations even more shocking. The police investigation was triggered when authorities responded to reports at a funeral parlour where Sword was employed. His employers had grown suspicious of his conduct within the mortuary, although no charges related to his behaviour at the funeral home were brought against him. Nevertheless, these suspicions led to a police inquiry.

During the investigation, law enforcement officials visited the funeral parlour and found Sword alone in the mortuary under suspicious circumstances. This prompted a search of his personal devices, including his mobile phone and computer. Although Sword initially cooperated with police interviews, he largely refused to comment on the allegations. A subsequent high-tech crime unit analysis of his electronic devices uncovered a disturbing trove of illegal content.

On his computer, authorities discovered a significant number of indecent images of children. These included 47 movies and 51 still images classified as the most serious Category A, along with nine movies and 29 stills in Category B, and six movies and 55 stills in Category C. The police expert noted that many other images had not been classified, indicating a large and varied collection. More alarmingly, the investigation revealed 59 videos and 252 still images of extreme pornography, which depicted sexual torture of chained women and sexual acts involving animals.

In interviews following the discovery, Sword admitted to downloading and accumulating these images over a period of five years. It was also revealed that he had no prior criminal convictions. His defense lawyer, Mark Sharman, emphasized that Sword’s initial silence during police questioning was related to the incident at the funeral parlour, not the illegal images later uncovered. Sharman also highlighted that Sword, who may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, had served 16 years in the Royal Armoured Corps before establishing a business manufacturing toy soldiers and later running the Scalextric circuit.

Sharman further stated that Sword was highly motivated to address his offending behavior. Since his arrest, he had taken steps such as disconnecting his internet service and seeking help from organizations like the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which specializes in working with sex offenders.

Judge Kevin Hegarty QC sentenced Sword to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years. Additionally, Sword was ordered to participate in a 50-day rehabilitation program and complete 100 hours of unpaid community service. He was also prohibited from working with children and was ordered to register as a sex offender for a period of ten years. The judge emphasized the gravity of the case, noting that the collection included images of very young children, involved moving images, and depicted extreme acts such as sexual torture and animal abuse, making it one of the more serious cases to come before the court.