RICHARD CARTER FROM BRIDPORT SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE AND INDECENT IMAGES

In August 2013, Richard Carter, a resident of Court Orchard Road in Bridport, was sentenced to prison after admitting to a series of serious criminal offenses involving a young girl and the possession of indecent images. The case was heard at Dorchester Crown Court, where disturbing details of Carter’s actions were revealed.

Prosecutor Jennie Rickman outlined the gravity of the crimes, explaining that Carter had taken a 13-year-old girl to a secluded wooded area and subjected her to sexual assault. During police interviews, Carter claimed to be 'in love' with the girl and even sent her a Valentine’s Day card, which added a disturbing layer to the case. Rickman emphasized that Carter repeatedly threatened to kill himself if the girl disclosed what had happened, telling her that he would end his life in front of her if she told anyone about their encounters.

Further evidence was presented showing that Carter’s phone contained images of the victim, alongside a collection of indecent images of children and other extreme material stored on his laptop. Police investigations uncovered that Carter possessed images rated from levels one to five, with level five being the most severe. Additionally, he was found to have extreme images rated at level seven, which did not involve children but still depicted highly disturbing content.

It was revealed that Carter, who had been receiving incapacity benefits for the past decade, admitted to 22 counts of various offenses across two separate court appearances. The court heard that his actions included both the sexual assault of the young girl and the possession of indecent images, which painted a picture of a man deeply involved in disturbing and illegal activities.

In his defense, lawyer John Dyer described Carter as a