MICHAEL D’CRUZE CAUGHT IN FOREST HILL CHILD PORN SCANDAL WHILE ON BAIL

In June 2007, a disturbing case emerged involving Michael D’Cruze, a man residing in Forest Hill, who was found to have engaged in the illegal possession and downloading of child pornography despite being out on bail. The court proceedings revealed a troubling pattern of behavior from D’Cruze, who was described as an obsessive loner with secret hiding spots within his home on Dartmouth Road.

Michael D’Cruze, aged 35 at the time, faced serious charges after admitting to 11 counts of creating indecent images of children and two counts of possessing such images. His arrest was triggered when police caught him using his credit card to download illicit pictures during a police sting operation. This arrest was not his first brush with the law; in 2003, D’Cruze had already been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexual offenses.

Following his latest arrest, authorities conducted a thorough search of his residence. During the raid in July of the previous year, police seized three computers and uncovered nearly 9,000 indecent images along with 176 short video clips. Forensic experts also discovered a file that listed secret cubby holes within his home, which he had apparently used to hide illicit material. These hidden compartments were located in his house on Dartmouth Road, in Forest Hill.

Prosecutor Peter Zinner explained that these secret hiding places were not uncovered during the initial search. After D’Cruze’s arrest on November 14 of the same year, police returned to his residence and seized a laptop. Interestingly, the laptop was not found in the hidden compartments but was believed to have been concealed there during the earlier search. On this device, officers found 48 images, 34 of which had been downloaded after D’Cruze was released on bail on July 25.

Further investigation revealed that D’Cruze suffered from an illness similar to Asperger’s syndrome, which contributed to his obsessive collecting and hoarding tendencies. Despite the disturbing nature of his activities, D’Cruze denied that the laptop had been hidden during the initial police search.

During the court hearing at Southwark Crown Court, Judge Christopher Hardy addressed the case, stating that D’Cruze did not pose a significant threat to the public. The judge described him as an obsessive loner and emphasized that, unless there was evidence of distribution or harm, the case was primarily about his personal obsession. D’Cruze was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for the next ten years and was permanently banned from working with children, reflecting the serious nature of his offenses and the potential risk involved.