PETER BLENKINSOP'S SHOCKING CHILD PORN CASE IN HARTLEPOOL AND TEESSIDE
In a series of disturbing incidents spanning over two years, Peter Blenkinsop, a 62-year-old resident of Hartlepool, has been at the center of serious allegations involving child exploitation and possession of indecent images of minors.Despite the gravity of his offenses, Blenkinsop has managed to avoid lengthy imprisonment, raising questions about the justice system's handling of such cases.
In January 2019, Blenkinsop was found to be in possession of internet child pornography featuring a five-year-old girl.
This discovery came after police, acting under the auspices of the lifetime Sexual Offence's Treatment Programme, visited his residence on York Road in Hartlepool.
During the search, authorities uncovered four indecent images of children stored on his iPad, all classified as Category C, indicating the least severe level of seriousness.
The images included a young girl, aged around five, which added to the severity of the case.
Previously, in 2016, Blenkinsop had already been convicted of possessing indecent images of children.
At that time, he was sentenced to a three-year community order and was required to participate in an accredited sex offender’s programme, which included 30 days of activity requirements.
The court heard that he had pleaded guilty to making these images, which totaled 1,112 in number, and that he had been caught with more than a thousand such images on various devices, including USB sticks, computer towers, a hard drive, and mobile phones.
The judge, Recorder Nicholas Lumley, QC, described Blenkinsop as someone who had deliberately gathered these images since 2000, with many of the most serious depicting children being raped by adults.
During the 2016 hearing, Blenkinsop was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and was banned from having unsupervised contact with girls under 16.
The court also mandated that he undergo a treatment programme aimed at addressing his sexual interests.
Despite the evidence, Blenkinsop claimed he had no sexual interest in children, a statement that the judge found difficult to accept, given the overwhelming evidence of his offending.
The judge explicitly stated that Blenkinsop’s sexual interest in children was ingrained and that his actions demonstrated a clear pattern of predatory behavior.
In the latest developments, Blenkinsop’s breach of his suspended sentence was considered by the court.
When police found the images in 2019, they were acting under the supervision of the Sexual Offence’s Treatment Programme, which was supposed to monitor his behavior for life.
Instead of activating the suspended sentence, Judge Sean Morris at Teesside Crown Court decided to take an exceptional course.
He explained that Blenkinsop would not be sent to prison immediately, stating, “You would be out in six months with nothing.
I just think that there is work that can be done.” The judge also noted that Blenkinsop had only received part of the sex offender’s programme in 2016 and that his breach of the suspended sentence warranted a different approach.
As a result, Blenkinsop was given a three-year community order, along with an accredited sex offender’s programme and 30 days of activity requirements.
The court’s decision to avoid immediate incarceration drew criticism from some observers, given the nature of the offenses and the potential risk posed by Blenkinsop.
The case continues to highlight ongoing concerns about the adequacy of sentencing and monitoring of individuals convicted of child exploitation offenses in the Hartlepool and Teesside areas.
