MARK HOUGH FROM HAYWARDS HEATH JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN SUSSEX

In a case that has shocked the community of Haywards Heath, Sussex, Mark Hough, a 39-year-old man residing in Franklands Village, was sentenced to over seven years in prison for his involvement in the possession and distribution of a vast and disturbing collection of child pornography. The court heard that Hough’s actions were not only illegal but also deeply heinous, involving the accumulation of tens of thousands of indecent images depicting the abuse of young children, some of whom were under the age of three.

Judge Anthony Scott-Gall described Hough’s addiction to child pornography as a 'serious disease,' emphasizing the severity of his crimes. The investigation revealed that Hough’s obsession with such material began after he was made redundant from his job as a hospital storeroom assistant, a position he held for nearly two decades. Following his redundancy, Hough reportedly sank into depression, which appeared to fuel his increasingly disturbing behavior.

Initially, Hough’s collection started with adult pornography, but it quickly escalated to include more extreme and illegal content involving children. The authorities’ investigation uncovered that Hough was not merely a passive collector; he actively shared his illicit files with others. During a raid at his home in March of the previous year, officers seized a computer tower, numerous videos, thumb drives, and over 700 CDs. They also discovered extensive paperwork referencing child porn websites, indicating his active engagement in the online child exploitation community.

Further analysis of the seized devices revealed that Hough had shared more than 33,000 files with other users, many of which contained the most severe levels of child abuse images, classified from level 1 to the most serious, level 5. The police found that nearly 47,000 of these images were stored in shared folders, making his collection one of the largest ever encountered by Sussex Police. Due to the disturbing nature of some images, officers involved in the case were limited in their viewing to protect their welfare.

Investigators also uncovered chat logs in which Hough explicitly requested the most explicit child pornography. Other users in these online exchanges asked him for extreme content, which he supplied, further illustrating the extent of his involvement in this illegal network. The case also included allegations of voyeurism, as Hough was found to have secretly filmed women known to him in a bathroom setting. He pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including possession of indecent images of children, possession with intent to distribute such images, and voyeurism.

Sentencing Hough to seven years and nine months in prison, Judge Scott-Gall condemned his actions, stating, 'Where there is a market, young children need to be abused to provide fresh material for the delectation of people like yourself. It is an ever-increasing circle of images of young people who, after they have been filmed, are sent out into the public domain.'

Outside the courtroom, Sussex Police’s Detective Constable Chris Smith commented on the case, noting that Hough was a well-known figure in his community due to his involvement with a youth organization. However, he clarified that there was no link between Hough’s community work and his criminal activities. Detective Smith described the case as one of the most disturbing his team had ever handled, highlighting the sheer volume and severity of the images and videos involved.

He further explained that Hough had admitted his guilt immediately upon arrest. Yet, alarmingly, while awaiting analysis of his computer, Hough purchased a new laptop to continue feeding his addiction. The police emphasized that although Hough did not have direct contact with the children depicted in the images, every victim in these photographs and videos had suffered horrific abuse, and their suffering was exploited to satisfy the depraved demands of individuals like Hough. As part of his sentence, Hough was also ordered to be placed on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.