PHILIP PARRY FROM THORVERTON SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGE LIBRARY IN EXETER

In August 2012, a disturbing case emerged involving Philip Parry, a 59-year-old man from Thorverton, who was found to have accumulated an extensive collection of illegal and highly disturbing images depicting child abuse. The authorities uncovered that Parry’s computer contained over 2,000 indecent images, a revelation that shocked the local community and prompted serious legal action.

Among the images discovered, 373 depicted adults engaging in sexual acts with children as young as three years old. Additionally, there were 51 images that portrayed sadistic acts or bondage involving minors. These findings underscored the depravity of Parry’s actions and the severity of the crimes committed.

During the proceedings at Exeter Crown Court, it was emphasized that Parry’s behavior not only involved the possession of these heinous images but also contributed to the wider problem of child exploitation. The court heard that such material encourages others to commit similar offenses, thereby perpetuating a cycle of abuse and suffering.

Parry, who resides at Mill Race, Thorverton, pleaded guilty to 23 charges related to making and possessing indecent images of children. His guilty plea was considered in the sentencing, which resulted in an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. Furthermore, he was placed on the sex offenders’ register and prohibited from having any unsupervised contact with children.

As part of his sentence, Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, mandated that Parry attend the Internet Sex Offenders’ Treatment Programme. This requirement is part of a two-year supervision order aimed at monitoring his behavior and preventing future offenses.

In his remarks to Parry, the judge described the case as profoundly serious, stating, “These offences are very serious and demonstrate depravity on your part of the most appalling nature. The reality is that children were abused to create these images. They suffered and will probably continue to suffer for the rest of their lives. Those who download images of this sort are complicit and place other children at risk. That is why it is very, very serious.”

Prosecutor David Bowen revealed that authorities found a total of 2,444 images on Parry’s computers, including 424 in the most severe categories, which depicted children being sexually assaulted by adults. The victims ranged in age from three to twelve years old, and Parry made full admissions once the analysis of his equipment was completed.

It was noted that Parry had not attempted to contact children or others with similar interests, which was considered during the case. His defense, represented by Bathsheba Cassel, requested that credit be given for his guilty plea, which was taken into account during sentencing.