PAEDOPHILE SPARED JAIL AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA CHILD ABUSE VIDEO BREACH
A CONVICTED paedophile who "panicked" and deleted a child abuse video that someone shared on social media, causing him to breach a court order, has been spared jail.Peter Drury, 43, of Lehar Close, Basingstoke, appeared for sentencing in Winchester Crown Court on Friday, January 30, having previously pleaded guilty to breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The court heard that Drury had previously spent two years in prison for possessing extreme images of children and animals, plus two months for breaching a court order after his release.
Prosecutor Francesca da Costa explained that on September 27, 2024, Drury breached his SHPO, which was enforced on March 17, 2022, after a third party shared a video of Category A child abuse - the most severe category - in a thread in the Telegram group 'The House of LGBT' - which a "panicked" Drury immediately left and deleted.
Despite not intentionally seeking the video, Drury breached the conditions of his SHPO, which prohibit him from deleting some or all of his internet history.
The SHPO is due to expire on April 27, 2032.
The court heard that police were notified of the video following a warning being triggered and visited Drury on October 4, 2024.
Drury voluntarily attended a police interview and confirmed he had breached his order by deleting the thread.
Defense barrister, Mr Tucker, said there is a "world of difference between someone deliberately seeking out child abuse imagery and, on the other hand, coming across it inadvertently and in panic, immediately deleting it." "Ideally, what he would have done when he discovered that image was to report it to his officer, but one could well understand why he wouldn’t have done." The court heard that Drury is a "socially isolated man who is somewhat susceptible to the internet’s darker temptations." The court heard that Drury, who appeared wearing a purple shirt, has been taking steps to rehabilitate himself and volunteers with a community food team, and that he is a "valued member of the team who always arrives on time," according to a character reference.
Drury was accompanied in the dock by a minister from a church.
He has become a member of the church and regularly attends church groups, including Bible study.
In sentencing, Judge Richard Tutt said: "You deleted the thread because you said you didn’t wish to see it.
"A video of a child was posted and you said it made you feel sick, you didn’t know what to do, and you immediately removed yourself from the chat and deleted the thread.
"I am persuaded that in light of your basis of plea, this is a Culpability C case, a minor breach, and not Culpability B, which requires a deliberate breach." Drury was handed an 18-month community order with two conditions.
The first being that he must complete 200 hours of unpaid work in the community, and the second is he must complete up to 26 accredited programme requirement days with the probation service.
The SHPO will continue as before.
