MICHAEL ASPLAND FROM BASELIDON SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AND TABLET FLING
In July 2018, a disturbing incident unfolded in Basildon involving Michael Aspland, a man from Samuel Road in Langdon Hills.As police arrived at his residence to arrest him on suspicion of multiple sex offences, Aspland reacted in a reckless and destructive manner by hurling his Samsung tablet into his garden.
The tablet was subsequently damaged, which impeded the police investigation and examination of its contents.
Michael Aspland, aged 80, faced a court hearing at Basildon Crown Court where he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for a series of grave crimes related to child exploitation.
The charges included making, possessing, and distributing indecent images of children, possessing extreme pornographic images, and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that had previously been imposed on him.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that Aspland had also engaged in a conversation with a user identified as 'KellyinUK' via the messaging app Kik.
The police were unable to determine whether this user was a child or an adult, as the account had not been identified or verified.
Back in 2012, Aspland had already been convicted of similar offences and was given a community order along with the SHPO.
However, between January 2016 and June 2017, he breached these restrictions by possessing a prohibited Samsung tablet and deleting his internet browsing history, actions that violated the terms of his previous order.
Judge David Owen-Jones, presiding over the case, emphasized the severity of Aspland’s actions during his sentencing remarks.
He stated, “In March, 2012, you pleaded guilty to distributing and making indecent images of children along with possessing extreme pornography.
You were sentenced to a community order.
You were made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which you have pleaded guilty to breaching.” The detailed charges against Aspland included the creation of numerous indecent images and videos of children.
Specifically, between January 27, 2016, and June 30, 2017, he produced 19 Category A, five Category B, and three Category C videos, along with 341 Category A images, 443 Category B images, and 468 Category C images.
Additionally, he was found in possession of two prohibited images of children.
Further, Aspland was found guilty of distributing indecent images by sending a Category A image to the user 'KellyinUK' via Kik on June 20 and June 21, 2017.
He also failed to notify his monitoring officer about the Samsung tablet, deleted internet history, and did not produce the device when requested, all of which constituted breaches of his SHPO.
The police report detailed that during their arrival at his home, Aspland was sitting on his sofa holding the Samsung tablet, which he then threw into the garden.
The damage to the device hindered the investigation, and the police noted that the tablet was damaged and unfit for examination.
Aspland’s courtroom demeanor was subdued; he stood in the dock clutching the side and staring at the floor as the sentence was passed.
In addition to his prison term, he will be subject to the SHPO indefinitely, ensuring ongoing restrictions related to his conduct and access to certain materials.
