RICHARD PAWSEY SHOCKS WARWICK WITH SECRET PHONE AND CHILD PORN OFFENSES

In February 2021, a man from Warwick named Richard Pawsey faced serious legal repercussions after he was found to have violated a court order related to his previous sex offenses. Pawsey, aged 44 and residing on Edmondes Close in Warwick, admitted to breaching a sexual harm prevention order by secretly possessing electronic devices without informing the authorities, raising concerns about his potential re-engagement in unlawful behavior.

Despite the fact that police did not discover any illegal content on the devices seized during their investigation, the court was informed that Pawsey had been hiding a phone from law enforcement officers. The devices confiscated from him included an iPhone, an iPod, and a micro SD card capable of storing digital images. Notably, officers also found a handwritten note with a contact number that did not correspond to the Nokia phone Pawsey produced when questioned. Further searches at his home and his mother’s residence revealed additional devices, including an iPhone 7, which has yet to be recovered, and a contact number matching the one on the note.

During the hearing, Judge Peter Cooke expressed grave concern over Pawsey’s conduct, emphasizing that his secretive behavior and concealment of devices suggested he might be slipping back into old habits. The judge pointed out that Pawsey, who is visually impaired and profoundly deaf, faces significant health challenges that make his situation particularly complex. Despite these mitigating factors, Judge Cooke warned Pawsey that if he reoffends within the next two years, the court would likely reconsider his chances and impose stricter penalties. The judge explicitly stated, “There are to be no more secret phones and no more hidden devices in the future.”

Previously, in January 2014, Pawsey had been involved in a disturbing incident at an open-air swimming pool in Warwick. He approached a ten-year-old girl and asked her to dare him to remove his shorts, an act that caused her to become distressed and seek help from her grandfather. This incident was part of a broader pattern of concerning behavior, as Pawsey was later found to have downloaded hundreds of indecent images of children onto his phones. Prosecutors revealed that Pawsey had tried to hide his devices by placing them in a toilet cistern during police intervention, fearing they contained illicit material. The following day, he attempted to persuade a friend to retrieve the phones for him, but the friend chose to contact the police instead.

When the police examined the devices, they discovered over 450 indecent images, including various levels of severity, with some videos. Pawsey was already on the sex offender register due to a prior caution for assaulting a girl under 16, and he had breached that order by failing to notify police of a change of address. He also admitted to using threatening behavior towards the young girl at the lido, asking her repeatedly if she dared him to take off his shorts, which caused her to cry. Additionally, Pawsey pleaded guilty to possessing a small quantity of mephedrine, a Class B drug, and to ten charges of possessing indecent images of children.

During sentencing, Judge Jamie Tabor QC described Pawsey as a “very sad and ineffectual man” who had experienced significant personal difficulties, including the breakdown of a long-term relationship, job loss, eviction, and substance abuse. The judge acknowledged Pawsey’s remorse and his desire to address his issues, but emphasized the seriousness of his offenses. As a result, Pawsey was sentenced to a three-year community order, requiring him to participate in the Thames Valley Sex Offender program, and was ordered to pay a £60 surcharge. The court’s decision reflects the gravity of his actions and the ongoing concern about his potential to reoffend.