PAUL STUBBS

CONSETT PENSIONER JAILED FOR REPEATED CHILD ABUSE IMAGE OFFENCES

A pensioner named Paul Stubbs, aged 71, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison after repeatedly violating court orders by accessing indecent images of children.

Stubbs is described as having "a long-term, entrenched, sexually deviant interest in pre-pubescent children" and is considered a high risk of re-offending in the future.

His criminal record spans over four decades, including indecent assault of a young girl in 1999 and recent convictions for accessing online indecent images, which led to a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a suspended sentence in 2015.

Despite the court order, Stubbs breached it in 2018, and in December of the previous year, police found he had installed software to delete internet history, used peer-to-peer downloads, and had indecent images of children on his devices.

Police also found a document detailing the sexual abuse of a child, and during further investigations in September, they seized additional laptops containing indecent and prohibited images of children, some created after the start of the investigation.

The case involved children aged between four and eight, and evidence suggested Stubbs attempted to conceal his activities.

He admitted to possessing four counts of indecent or prohibited images of children and breaching the SHPO.

A probation report indicated he poses "a significant risk to the public of causing serious harm," and ongoing work in prison is necessary to address his behavior.

The judge emphasized the gravity of the case, stating, "You have conceded you have a long-term and entrenched sexually deviant interest in pre-pubescent female children.

This needs to be stopped and controlled." As part of his sentence, Stubbs will continue to be subject to the lifetime SHPO and notification requirements.