RICHARD BRISTOWE SHAMES EXETER WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND ONLINE CRIMES
In a disturbing case that has rocked the city of Exeter, Richard Bristowe, a well-known flying instructor and aviation businessman, has been exposed for possessing a staggering collection of indecent images of children and engaging in illegal online activities.The revelations came to light after police investigations uncovered his involvement in the distribution and viewing of child abuse material, leading to his arrest and subsequent conviction.
Richard Bristowe, aged 70, who has long been associated with Exeter’s aviation community, was found to have thousands of illicit images stored on his computers at both his Exeter residence and his office located at Exeter Airport.
The police raid was initiated after authorities in the Philippines alerted UK officials about suspicious financial transactions made by Bristowe.
Specifically, two Western Union money transfers to a Manila-based individual who operates a live streaming service on the internet raised suspicions and prompted further investigation.
During the raid, officers discovered a total of 3,600 images and videos depicting the most heinous forms of child abuse, including sadism and bestiality, with 41 files classified in the worst category.
Additionally, 275 files showed adults raping children, of which 49 were movies.
A particularly disturbing find was a memory stick in Bristowe’s pocket, which contained the encryption key to many of the files downloaded from the Philippines, indicating a deliberate effort to conceal his activities.
Prosecutors revealed that Bristowe’s online activity involved paying a man in Manila to live-stream images of children over the internet.
Although police did not find any live streams during their investigation, the payments made to facilitate such content strongly suggested Bristowe’s predisposition towards viewing and possibly seeking out child abuse material.
The court heard that Bristowe’s claims of having no sexual interest in children were false and that his behavior was deeply troubling and indicative of an unhealthy obsession.
At Exeter Crown Court, Judge Phillip Wassall described the images found on Bristowe’s devices as revolting and repulsive.
Bristowe, who resides at Birchy Barton Hill in Exeter and has business addresses at Exeter Airport and Christow near Newton Abbot, admitted to 12 counts of possessing indecent images of children.
The judge sentenced him to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to attend a sex offenders’ treatment program.
The court also mandated that Bristowe register as a sex offender before leaving the court.
During the proceedings, the judge expressed his disgust at the nature of the material and emphasized the severity of the offense.
He stated, “It is plain you have an interest in sex with people much younger than yourself.
You are 70 and have been in a relationship with a man of 26 since he was 18.
Some of these offences involve very young children, aged seven to nine, engaged in sexual activity with animals.” Prosecutor Miss Mary McCarthy explained that the investigation was initiated after authorities in the Philippines identified the Western Union transactions.
The police executed warrants at Bristowe’s Exeter home and his office at Exeter Airport in December 2012, seizing multiple computers and storage devices.
The evidence collected confirmed the possession of indecent images, with police finding the encrypted files on the memory stick Bristowe carried.
Defense lawyer Emily Pitts argued that Bristowe was unaware of the contents of the encrypted files and that he had not been involved in live streaming or direct distribution of the images.
She highlighted his long-standing career as a pilot and flying instructor, which was now effectively over due to his arrest and conviction.
She expressed concern for his employees, stating that Bristowe was planning to sell or downsize his business to help them find alternative employment.
In a related case from earlier in 2015, Bristowe faced similar charges after police raided his Exeter office and home, uncovering the same collection of child abuse images.
The court proceedings revealed that Bristowe had no prior police record but had been under investigation since 2009, when a previous owner of his former home discovered a large number of photographs stored in the attic.
Despite the different investigations, the pattern of offending remained consistent, leading to his eventual conviction.
Throughout the trial, Bristowe maintained that he did not attempt to obstruct the police or withhold passwords, and he claimed ignorance of the contents of some encrypted files.
Nevertheless, the evidence was overwhelming, and the court’s decision reflected the gravity of his crimes, which have caused significant distress within the community and the aviation industry alike.
