PHILLIP JACKSON IN DARTFORD, KENT, HAS INTERNET ACCESS RESTRICTIONS LIFTED AFTER COURT RULING

In November 2012, a judge decided to lift the court order banning Phillip Jackson from using the internet, citing that such restrictions are now 'unreasonable.' Previously, Jackson, 55, had been prohibited from accessing the internet following his arrest on suspicion of serious sexual offences.

Jackson's criminal activities came to light after a 14-year-old girl noticed a flashing light from a shampoo bottle in her home in Dartford, Kent, which led to the discovery of a mobile phone hidden behind a hole within the bottle. An investigation revealed that Jackson had stored hundreds of indecent images on his computer, including content involving animals and children as young as four.

He was sentenced in June at Woolwich Crown Court to a community order with three years of supervision. Additionally, a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) was imposed on him, which prohibited him from owning a computer, using a camera in public, working with children, and permitted police to search his home at any time.

However, Jackson's legal team appealed the SOPO, arguing that the blanket ban on internet access was disproportionate and unnecessary. Judges Mr. Justice Collins and Judge Nicholas Cooke QC, sitting at London's Criminal Appeal Court, agreed, ruling that in today's circumstances, such a complete ban was unreasonable. They replaced the SOPO with a less restrictive order that requires Jackson to provide his internet browsing history to the police for review.

During the appeal, Mr. Justice Collins criticized the original judge's comments, including remarks suggesting Jackson might 'die subject to this order,' calling such language 'lurid' and inappropriate. The appeal court concluded that the original SOPO was 'entirely excessive' and emphasized that modern legal standards do not support bans on home internet access, unless specifically justified.

In August 2012, prior to the appeal, Jackson was convicted of filming a girl in the shower and possessing a vast array of illegal images. He hidden a camera inside a manipulated shower gel bottle to record the girl, who was the daughter of his lodger. After her awareness of the recording, she stopped and deleted the footage. Police subsequently found more than 2,000 indecent images and videos on Jackson’s devices, including severe material involving children and animals.

Judge Michael Topolski described Jackson's actions as 'a descent into a dark dungeon of depravity.' The court heard that some images depicted very young children being forced into grotesque acts and that there were also extreme animal pornography visuals. Jackson faced multiple charges, including voyeurism, making indecent images of children, possessing such images at various levels, and possessing extreme animal pornography. He pleaded guilty to all counts.

Mitigating counsel, James Hasslacher, stated that Jackson was at a low risk of reoffending, noting his remorse and previous efforts to seek help after serving seven months in custody. The judge sentenced Jackson to a three-year community order with mandatory supervision and required participation in a sex offender program. A new SOPO was also issued, restricting him from using the internet without supervision, owning computers, working with minors, possessing cameras in public, and hosting under-18s at his residence.

Judge Topolski emphasized that these measures aim to protect future victims and prevent further harm, stating, 'I am as confident as I can be the action I am going to take will better protect the victims of this case and other children from your depraved gaze.'