WOBURN MAN LEIGH CANE SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX IMAGE OFFENSES IN BEDFORDSHIRE

In April 2008, authorities conducted a detailed investigation into Leigh Cane, a resident of Woburn, Bedfordshire, after discovering his involvement in the possession and distribution of a vast collection of illegal child sexual abuse images. The case came to light when police traced the use of Cane's credit card, which had been employed to access numerous illicit internet sites dedicated to child exploitation.

Following this discovery, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cane's residence on Timber Lane, Woburn. During the raid, they seized multiple electronic devices, including two computer towers, a zip drive, and various CDs and DVDs. These items were subjected to forensic analysis, revealing a disturbing collection of images and videos.

Prosecutor Natalie Carter provided detailed insights during the proceedings at Luton Crown Court, describing the severity of the material found. Among the images were two still photographs depicting the sexual abuse of infants. One image showed a baby being raped by an adult, while another depicted a young girl, estimated to be around seven or eight years old, being sexually assaulted. A third image was particularly disturbing, showing a girl of similar age engaging in sexual acts with a dog.

Mrs. Carter explained that the authorities identified 3,607 live still images classified at Level One, which is considered the least serious category. However, Cane had deliberately deleted a significant number of images—30,247 at Level One, along with 308 at Level Two, 1,288 at Level Three, 928 at Level Four, and 85 at Level Five. The deletion of these images indicated an attempt to conceal the extent of his illegal activities.

In addition to images, police found numerous videos. There were 28 live movies at Level One and one at Level Five, with Cane having deleted a total of 186 at Level One, 178 at Level Two, 74 at Level Three, 170 at Level Four, and six at Level Five. Cane admitted during police interviews that he had removed most of the illicit material in 2006, claiming he was 'disgusted' by the images. He stated that his interest was primarily in legal adult pornography, attempting to justify his actions.

Cane appeared before the court to face sentencing after pleading guilty to one charge of possessing indecent images and 22 counts of making indecent images. His defense lawyer, Anna Faul, highlighted Cane's previously good character and noted that he had last accessed the illegal material in 2006. She emphasized that Cane had taken steps to delete most of the images, considering child sex abuse images 'totally unacceptable.'

Mrs. Faul also mentioned that Cane was in a stable relationship, with his girlfriend standing by his side during the proceedings. Despite these mitigating factors, Judge Richard Foster sentenced Cane to a term of one year in prison. The judge expressed deep concern over the harm inflicted upon the children depicted in the images, stating, 'I have to think about what these children have been through for your perverted sexual gratification. You helped create a market by paying for this material.'

Furthermore, Cane was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years. He was permanently banned from working with children and from having contact with anyone under 16 unless supervised. The court also mandated that Cane must not work with children in any capacity and that he must allow police access to his computer at any time for monitoring purposes. The electronic devices and discs containing the illegal material are to be destroyed, ensuring they are no longer accessible or exploitable.