MARTIN LANE FROM CHULMLEIGH SENTENCED AFTER CHILD PORNOGRAPHY DISCOVERY IN EXETER

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Chulmleigh, Martin Lane, a 38-year-old resident of Langley in Chulmleigh, was brought before Exeter Crown Court to face serious charges related to child pornography. The proceedings revealed that Lane had admitted to downloading hundreds of indecent images of children from the internet, a revelation that has sparked concern among local residents and authorities alike.

Lane was handed a two-year supervision order, which mandates his participation in a specialized sex offender treatment programme. This decision was made during the court session last week, emphasizing the seriousness of his offences. Lane himself described the entire ordeal as a 'nightmare,' acknowledging the gravity of his actions. He pleaded guilty to 12 counts of making indecent photographs of children, one count of taking such an image, and one count of possessing such images.

The case came to light somewhat unexpectedly. The police investigation was initiated after Lane moved out of his residence on Merrivale Road in Exeter. A resident of Exeter, who discovered a memory stick belonging to Lane at the property where he previously lived, contacted the police. The discovery was crucial in uncovering the extent of Lane’s offending behavior.

According to prosecutor David Gittins, the police analysis of the memory stick revealed a disturbing collection of images depicting children aged between eight and nine years old. Further investigations led to a search of Lane’s vehicle, where authorities found a laptop and CDs, both containing additional child pornography. Lane claimed that the images were old and for personal use, stating that he had come across them while browsing adult websites out of curiosity. However, the evidence painted a different picture.

The images found on Lane’s devices totaled 387 at level one, which is considered the least severe, along with three at level two, one at level three, and approximately a dozen at level four. Law enforcement officials explained that images are graded from level one to level five, with level five representing the most heinous material. Lane admitted that he could not recall downloading all the images but insisted that no one else could have done so. He expressed remorse, describing the experience as a nightmare and taking full responsibility for his actions.

Lane indicated that the offences occurred over a brief period at the end of 2007, suggesting a short window during which these activities took place. His defense counsel, Nicholas Bradley, requested that the court consider a community order based on the recommendations of a pre-sentence report. Mr. Bradley highlighted that Lane had been suspended from his job without pay and believed his employment had been terminated as a result of the charges. However, he did not specify the nature of Lane’s employment or confirm whether the conviction directly caused his job loss.

Judge Philip Wassall acknowledged that Lane’s case was not as severe as others he had handled, which involved thousands of images over a longer duration. Nonetheless, the judge emphasized that a short custodial sentence would be ineffective in preventing future offending. Instead, he ordered Lane to be placed on the sex offender register and imposed a sexual offences prevention order for five years. Additionally, the court mandated the forfeiture and destruction of all computer equipment involved in the offences, underscoring the seriousness with which the justice system views such crimes.