FROME MAN PATRICK BURTON SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN SOMERSET

In December 2008, a man from Frome, Somerset, Patrick Burton, was handed a severe prison sentence after being convicted of multiple child pornography offences that included disturbing acts involving teenagers via webcam. Burton, aged 57, who was a director of the advertising firm Media Monitoring Group, was found to have accumulated an extensive and disturbing collection of child abuse images, many of which were classified as the most serious Category 5 images. A judge described these images as some of the worst he had ever encountered during his judicial career.

Burton’s heinous activities involved exploiting vulnerable children in online chatrooms, where he encouraged them to masturbate for his gratification while he indecently exposed himself through a webcam. His criminal conduct spanned several years, during which he distributed a staggering total of 2,294 child sexual images and videos. The court was informed that between February 2003 and July 2007, the majority of these images—approximately 89 percent—were of children under the age of 13. Many of these images depicted infants as young as six months old, with about 35 percent of the material being classified as level four or five, indicating extreme depravity.

Further evidence revealed that Burton’s computer contained 181 movies, 30 of which involved children under 13. Authorities also uncovered conversations he had with two young girls, aged 13 and 14, over the internet. The first girl, whose identity remains protected for legal reasons, recounted how she had live images of Burton on her computer, and he had taken live images of her via their webcams, further illustrating the disturbing nature of his online activities.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Douglas Field expressed his condemnation of Burton’s actions, stating, “The material in front of me shows some of the very worst examples I have ever come across of very young children being exposed to the most appalling abuse. The level five photographs are absolutely appalling.” The judge also acknowledged Burton’s previously clean record, noting, “You are 57 years of age and have never been in trouble before. You have lived an honest and industrious life, engaged in business and bringing up your family.”

As part of his sentence, Burton was ordered to serve three years in prison. The court also imposed restrictions, including an indefinite ban from working with children and a requirement to remain on the sexual offences register for an indefinite period. Burton, who resides in Frome, Somerset, pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and multiple counts related to making and distributing indecent images of children. His arrest and subsequent conviction followed an investigation triggered when a chatroom moderator reported his conversations to the Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre, leading to his eventual apprehension and prosecution.