MICHAEL KENNEDY FROM PEAKIRK INVOLVED IN HORRIFIC CHILD AND ANIMAL SEX ABUSE IMAGES CASE IN PETERBOROUGH

In August 2016, a disturbing case emerged involving Dr. Michael Kennedy, a family doctor from Peakirk, who was found to possess an alarming collection of nearly 850,000 illicit images depicting children, animals, and human corpses. The revelation came after a lengthy investigation that uncovered Kennedy's extensive and illegal collection, which he managed to keep hidden for over a decade.

Dr. Kennedy, aged 52 and married, was scheduled to face sentencing after being caught with this colossal hoard of illegal material. The images included some of the most extreme and disturbing content, with authorities revealing that his collection contained 10 particularly heinous images involving a dog and two involving human corpses. Prosecutor Anthea Harris addressed the court, providing a detailed breakdown of the images: "There are 2,002 images classified as Category A, which is the most serious level, 6,737 images in Category B, and a staggering 839,349 images in Category C."

She emphasized the gravity of the case, stating, "The starting point for offences of this nature is typically one year in custody. However, Kennedy's case is aggravated by the sheer volume of images, the extreme nature of some of the pornography, and the fact that these offences spanned over a ten-year period." Harris further argued that the severity of the case warranted a trial at the Crown Court, which has greater sentencing powers, a view supported by Kennedy’s defense attorney, Simon Milburn.

During the proceedings at Peterborough magistrates' court, Kennedy pleaded guilty to multiple charges. He admitted to three counts of possessing indecent images of children, one count of possessing prohibited images of a child, two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images, and one count of possessing images likely to cause serious injury to a person's private parts. Importantly, authorities confirmed that these images did not involve any of Kennedy’s patients or individuals connected to his medical practice.

Kennedy was employed as a senior partner at the Millfield Medical Centre in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, prior to the allegations surfacing. Throughout the hearing, he was supported by family and friends, who sat quietly in the public gallery, reflecting the shock and concern surrounding the case.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS England issued a statement, saying, "Dr. Michael Kennedy, formerly of Millfield Medical Centre in Peterborough, has been charged with multiple offences related to indecent images of children. His case has now been referred to the Crown Court for sentencing."

This case highlights the disturbing reality of individuals in trusted positions abusing that trust in the most heinous ways, and it underscores the importance of rigorous investigations and legal proceedings to address such grave offenses.