ROGER HADDOCK FROM LEIGHTON BUZZARD SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND GROOMING CASES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Leighton Buzzard, Roger Haddock, aged 62, was sentenced to a prison term of two years and eight months after being found guilty of possessing a significant collection of child abuse images and engaging in online grooming activities involving minors.

Haddock's criminal activities came to light following a police operation on February 18, 2010, when authorities executed a search warrant at his residence on Johnson Drive, Leighton Buzzard. The police investigation was initially unrelated to his crimes but led to the discovery of incriminating evidence within his home.

During the search, officers uncovered two computers and a brown wooden cabinet located in an upstairs bedroom. Inside the cabinet, investigators found a total of 236 DVDs and CDs, some of which bore labels such as ‘Special Edition’ and ‘Restricted Access,’ indicating their potentially illicit content. The digital devices contained a disturbing array of child sexual abuse images, categorized into different severity levels.

Specifically, the police found 85 images classified as Level 4, 57 at Level 3, 491 at Level 2, and a staggering 1,198 at Level 1, with the latter being the least severe in terms of content. Additionally, there were two movies at Level 4 and three at Level 2. Child sex abuse images are graded on a scale from 1 to 5, with Level 5 representing the most severe material.

Prosecutor Jacqueline Matthew-Stroud detailed that Haddock had taken screen captures of the abuse from his computer and stored them in a wooden cabinet. The investigation also revealed that Haddock had groomed a boy and two girls over the internet, persuading them to perform sexual acts. These minors were manipulated into engaging in sexual activities, which Haddock documented through digital images and videos.

Haddock faced multiple charges, including causing a child to engage in sexual activity, possessing indecent images of the three minors, and possessing a total of 1,836 indecent images of children. He also faced specific charges related to particular images found during the investigation. Despite his actions, Haddock was described as previously of good character.

In court, Judge David Farrell QC sentenced Haddock to be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life. Furthermore, he issued a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which prohibits Haddock from being alone with children, having children in his residence, or connecting any device to the internet without registering his computer with the police. These measures aim to prevent any further harm and monitor Haddock’s activities moving forward.