PAUL MACADIE FROM STOCKTON CAUGHT WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN TEESSIDE

In December 2003, a disturbing case emerged involving Paul Macadie, a 32-year-old computer salesman from Stockton, who was found to have an extensive collection of child pornography. The authorities conducted a raid on his parents' residence on Teesside, uncovering a staggering total of 2,783 indecent and abusive images of children stored across his computer and external disks.

Prosecutor Shaun Dodds provided details to Teesside Crown Court, revealing that forensic experts examined Macadie’s computer and discovered that he had accessed explicit websites based in the United States. The investigation uncovered evidence that Macadie had made three online transactions with a US-based company, transactions he initially claimed he was unaware would lead to viewing images of children. During subsequent police interviews, Macadie admitted to the investigators that he had started downloading such images as early as 1999 and acknowledged an addiction to Internet pornography.

When questioned about the content of the images, Macadie disputed the ages of some of the girls depicted, but he openly admitted, “I have been interested in their bodies.” His admission highlighted a troubling pattern of behavior and a long-standing obsession that had persisted for several years.

Macadie’s legal representative, Christopher Knox, argued that many of the images found were at the lower end of the severity scale used in similar cases. He emphasized that his client had not attempted to distribute the images nor was he involved in any paedophile ring. Knox stated, “This puts him in a different category to many of those Your Honour would have to deal with. First of all, he does acknowledge he has a problem and it is really quite clearly defined. He has accepted that there is a certain material in relation to girls aged between 13 and 16 which he does find attractive, but not the much more unpleasant material. It paints a very sad picture of a man of some considerable ability, aged 32, who finds himself in this situation. There is not any suggestion that he is dangerous.”

Judge Guy Whitburn sentenced Macadie to a three-year community rehabilitation order. This order includes a requirement for him to participate in a sex offenders’ group work program. Macadie, who resides on Auckland Way in Stockton, was charged with 11 counts of making indecent images of children and six counts of possessing such photographs, with offenses spanning from March 1999 to November of the previous year. The court warned him that failure to attend the mandated meetings could result in a nine-month jail sentence.