PHIL RICHARDSON/JOHN NICHOLLS: DONCASTER AND MARCH POLICE OFFICER SPARED JAIL AFTER DOWNLOADING BABY RAPE IMAGES

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Doncaster and March, Phil Richardson, who has since changed his name to John Nicholls, faced serious allegations related to the possession and distribution of extremely disturbing child abuse images. The incident came to light after authorities uncovered his involvement in downloading and sharing vile material depicting the sexual abuse of minors, including infants.

Richardson, a former police officer and scout leader, was arrested in May of the previous year following a police raid on his residence in March. The investigation was initiated after Bedfordshire police executed a search warrant at his home, where they seized an iPad and three laptops for examination. The digital devices revealed a horrifying collection of images, with 99 classified as Category A, representing the most severe level of abuse, alongside 208 images at Category B and 218 at Category C, the least serious classification.

During the investigation, officers discovered that Richardson had used the internet platform Tumblr to distribute some of these images, including a Category B and a Category C image. The search terms he employed included highly disturbing phrases such as “F... Boys,” “Incest,” “Brazilian boys,” and “Teen boys kissing.” Among the most shocking findings were images depicting a baby being raped and a 12-year-old boy being orally raped. These images were part of his online activity, which involved both downloading and sharing such material.

When questioned by police, Richardson chose not to answer any questions. Instead, he provided a prepared statement in which he expressed remorse and indicated his intention to seek professional help. The 49-year-old, who at the time was living in Doncaster, pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child and two charges of distributing such images.

Richardson’s background included serving as a beat police officer and a licensing officer for Fenland. However, his career with Cambridgeshire police ended on July 3, following his arrest. Notably, in 2011, he publicly expressed a desire to make the town a more dangerous place for criminals, stating on a community website that he enjoyed locking up offenders and that the more he could remove from the streets, the better his mood would be.

In sentencing, Judge Barbara Mensah acknowledged the severity of the crimes, describing the images as “vile, disgusting and cruel,” equating them to acts of torture. She emphasized that the public’s revulsion and the humiliation Richardson experienced were part of his punishment. The judge sentenced him to 15 months in prison, suspended for two years, meaning he would not serve time unless he committed further offenses within that period.

Additionally, Richardson was ordered to participate in a ‘Horizon’ sex offender rehabilitation program, complete 20 days of a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, and perform 200 hours of unpaid community service. The authorities also confiscated his electronic devices, including the iPad and laptops, and he was given 28 days to pay £300 in court costs. Furthermore, he is required to register as a sex offender and adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the next decade, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities to protect the community from potential harm.