KEVIN POLITT FROM GREAT SANKEY SENTENCED AFTER CHILD PORNOGRAPHY DISCOVERY IN INTERPOL STING

In January 2015, Kevin Politt, a 38-year-old resident of Bagnall Close in Great Sankey, found himself at the center of a serious criminal case involving child exploitation and illegal pornography. The case emerged from an extensive international investigation led by Interpol, which targeted a Canadian film company known as Azov Films. This company was under scrutiny for distributing disturbing images and videos depicting young children engaged in sexual acts.

The investigation into Azov Films began in 2005 but was revitalized in 2010 when authorities intensified their efforts, focusing on customer lists and distribution channels. It was during this period that police in the UK, working in cooperation with international agencies, identified Politt as a suspect. Court proceedings revealed that Politt had ordered a film titled 'Love, Strange Love,' which contained footage of an underage girl involved in sexual activity.

On a day when police executed a search warrant at his home, Politt was present and was quickly directed by him to the location of the film. During police interviews, he initially claimed that he had ordered the film as a 'coming of age' piece, asserting that he had no interest in children or illegal material. Despite his denials, authorities found a hard drive on which 184 indecent images of children were stored. However, the hard drive was no longer operational, and experts indicated that the images could not be viewed without specialized technology.

In further questioning, Politt admitted to having a fascination with incest and revealed that he used his computer to search for related terms. He listed search phrases such as 'school girl,' 'pre-teen,' 'little girl,' 'young son and mum,' '10-year-old boy,' and 'two sisters.' The court was informed that nine of the images found were of the most serious and disturbing kind, highlighting the severity of the material involved.

Politt, who had no prior criminal convictions, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including nine counts of making indecent images and one count of possessing indecent images. His defense lawyer, John Banasko, argued that Politt had ceased accessing child pornography several years earlier and was actively seeking to change his behavior through counseling. Banasko emphasized that his client showed genuine remorse, especially after being shown some of the images during police interviews, which caused him to break down and express disgust.

Judge Raj Shetty, presiding over the case at Warrington Crown Court, acknowledged the seriousness of the offenses but decided against sending Politt to prison. The judge noted that the images were downloaded between 2006 and 2007 and believed that rehabilitation was possible. He stated, 'I’m dealing with photos of real children who had really been abused. Depraved acts committed on these children is something I can’t ignore.' The judge also recognized that Politt had taken steps to prevent himself from using a computer for such purposes in the future.

As a result, Politt was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. Additionally, he was ordered to participate in a sex offenders treatment program and complete 200 hours of unpaid community service. The case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies worldwide to combat child exploitation and the importance of rehabilitation alongside punishment.