MICHAEL BROOKE'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN MEVAGISSAY AND CORNWALL: A LONG HISTORY OF CHILD ABUSE AND SEXUAL OFFENSES

In June 2021, Michael Brooke, a man with a deeply troubling history of sexual offenses against children, faced the court once again in connection with a recent incident involving the indecent assault of a young girl. Brooke, who is known to have a persistent and lifelong attraction to children, has been at the center of numerous criminal cases spanning over a decade, with his crimes primarily taking place in and around the Cornwall area, including Mevagissey.

Brooke, aged 38 at the time of this latest conviction, has a criminal record that is both extensive and disturbing. His previous convictions include a 2017 jail sentence for possessing a horrifying collection of child abuse images. These images depicted the most extreme forms of abuse, including babies being raped, hung upside down, and burned with a blow torch. The severity of these images prompted serious concern from the court and law enforcement officers who had to view such material, with one judge expressing worry about the mental impact on police officers tasked with examining the content.

Following his 2017 conviction, Brooke was released from prison but did not cease his criminal activities. He was found in possession of further indecent images of children, including some of the most serious categories, which led to his re-arrest and subsequent sentencing. During police searches of his property, officers discovered these images, which included videos and photographs of children being subjected to extreme acts of abuse. The court heard that Brooke had previously served time for the sexual assault of a two-year-old child, an incident that he committed while changing the child's nappy and which he recorded on camera.

In addition to the possession of images, Brooke had also breached a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) issued in August 2016, which was a direct consequence of his earlier conviction. His breaches included meeting a woman from Penzance at his workplace, where he was employed under the alias Michael Roberts. During this encounter, police reports state that the woman found Brooke holding her child, who was crying upstairs, and observed him breathing heavily. When police arrived, Brooke was caught attempting to dispose of a hard drive by throwing it out of a window. The hard drive was recovered and contained the indecent images of children, which officers described as some of the most distressing they had ever seen.

Brooke's criminal behavior extended to the sexual assault of a young girl between the ages of 15 and 17 during the 1990s. The court found that he had sexually touched her on multiple occasions, including placing his hand on her leg and moving it up and down. The victim was terrified, and the psychological trauma from these incidents was acknowledged as lifelong. Judge Simon Carr, presiding over the case, emphasized that Brooke's actions were not merely youthful curiosity but the beginning of a pattern of offending against children. The judge stated that Brooke, now 38, posed a continued threat to children and would likely do so until the end of his life unless properly managed.

During the sentencing, the judge highlighted Brooke's admission of having a sexual interest in children since his teenage years. His legal representative, Emily Cook, remarked that this attraction was something Brooke believed could be better managed rather than eradicated. The court also noted that Brooke had been convicted in 2012 for sexual assault against a child, which involved filming himself abusing the victim for sexual gratification. Despite being given a sexual harm prevention order and serving time for these offenses, Brooke breached the order twice, leading to additional sentences.

In the latest sentencing, Judge Carr decided on a two-year prison term, suspended for two years, meaning Brooke would not serve time immediately but would be under strict supervision. He was ordered to complete the Horizons program, aimed at addressing his sexual perversions, and to participate in a rehabilitation activity requirement. Additionally, Brooke was placed under a 12-month GPS tracking system, allowing authorities to monitor his whereabouts continuously. This measure underscores the ongoing concern about his potential to reoffend.

Brooke's criminal history and recent offenses paint a disturbing picture of a man with a long-standing pattern of sexual misconduct involving children. His case continues to evoke serious concern from law enforcement and the judiciary, highlighting the importance of vigilant monitoring and intervention for individuals with such dangerous propensities. The community in Mevagissey and the wider Cornwall area remains cautious, aware of the risks posed by individuals like Michael Brooke, whose actions have caused profound harm to vulnerable victims and ongoing distress to their families.