RANDOLPH PICKARD SENTENCED IN YORK FOR POSSESSING CHILD INDECENT IMAGES

In February 2014, Randolph Adrian Pickard, a retired postman and hospital radio volunteer from Temple Garth, Copmanthorpe, was ordered to register as a sex offender after being found in possession of thousands of indecent images of children.

Police raids on Pickard’s home revealed posters inviting boys to visit, computer print-outs of images depicting boys under 16, discussions from sexual chat rooms, and nearly 9,200 illegal child sexual image files stored on his computer. Prosecutor Nick Adlington stated, “There were 20,000 copies of the images which had been gathered over many years.”

Officers found no evidence suggesting Pickard had directly contacted or invited boys to his home, with Mr Adlington commenting, “It seems to be fantasy.”

During the hearing, Judge Stephen Ashurst, the Recorder of York, told Pickard, “At 73, you have now acquired a criminal record. You have lost your good name and you are shamed publicly. I hope that, together with the preventative orders I have made today, will best protect the public and keep you out of trouble in the future.”

The judge imposed a community order with three years of supervision and mandated participation in a sex offender treatment program. Additionally, Pickard was subject to a sexual offences prevention order that restricted his internet access, and he is required to register as a sex offender for five years.

Pickard pleaded guilty to 14 charges of possessing indecent images of children, most classified at the lowest level of severity. Defense representative Andrew Semple explained that Pickard has been socially isolated and has never had a meaningful relationship, and that he did not connect viewing the images with the child abuse involved in producing or sharing them online.

Mr Adlington added that West Midlands Police had alerted North Yorkshire Police that Pickard had purchased CDs containing sexual images of children via the internet.