PAEDOPHILE PAUL OTTAWAY FROM GOSPORT CAUGHT WITH CHILD INDECENT IMAGES AT PORTSMOUTH CROWN COURT

In October 2013, a disturbing case involving Paul Ottaway, a 64-year-old resident of Gosport, came to light at Portsmouth Crown Court. Ottaway was found to possess a collection of indecent images of children on his mobile device, a revelation that has sparked concern and condemnation within the community.

During the court proceedings, it was disclosed that Ottaway had a total of 31 such images stored on his phone. These images were categorized according to their severity, with ten of them classified as level four, which is considered highly serious, just below the most severe level five. Additionally, seventeen images were rated at level one, indicating a lower level of severity, while three were at level two, and one at level three. The distribution of these images underscores the disturbing nature of the material Ottaway was found to possess.

The case was brought to light when Ottaway was arrested for an unrelated offence. Prosecutor Tom Wright explained that the images were discovered during this arrest. He recounted an incident in a public park where Ottaway was seen engaging with two young girls, approximately 12 years old, who were sitting in a tree. Ottaway was reportedly asking the girls about their personal lives, specifically whether they had boyfriends and if those boyfriends had touched them, raising serious concerns about his intentions and behavior.

Ottaway was subsequently dealt with separately for the public order offence and received a conditional discharge, meaning he was not imprisoned for that particular incident but was subject to certain conditions. During police interviews, Ottaway admitted that he had succumbed to the temptation of subscribing to a sex image text messaging service, which provided him with the indecent images in question.

Defence lawyer Megan Topliss explained that Ottaway had responded to a telephone number found in a tabloid newspaper. She clarified that the images on his phone were sent via text messages from five different mobile numbers. She emphasized that there was no evidence suggesting Ottaway had ever attempted to share or distribute these images to others, asserting that his possession was not indicative of an intent to disseminate.

At the time of the arrest, Ottaway was residing at Lime Kiln Lane in Holbury, having previously lived at Alver Bridge View in Gosport. He pleaded guilty to 11 counts of possessing indecent images of children. The court sentenced him to four months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to be under supervision for the same period. Additionally, Ottaway was mandated to participate in a sex offender treatment programme consisting of 35 sessions and was ordered to pay £200 in court costs.

Judge Roger Hetherington, delivering the sentence, remarked that Ottaway’s use of the images was for his sexual gratification. The judge emphasized that the most effective way to protect children in the future was for Ottaway to undergo the treatment programme. Furthermore, Ottaway was ordered to register as a sex offender for seven years and was prohibited from working with children, reflecting the serious nature of his offences and the court’s commitment to community safety.