STEPHEN MIDGLEY AND SHOCKING CHILD ABUSE IN DURHAM
A judge has officially designated Stephen Midgley, aged 27, as a 'dangerous offender' after he was found guilty of possessing and distributing a large collection of child abuse images, some depicting children as young as two years old.The ruling came amidst mounting concerns over his high risk of re-offending and his disturbing sexual fixation on pre-pubescent girls.
The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court, where detailed evidence revealed the horrifying extent of Midgley's crimes.
Authorities discovered that he had two mobile phones that contained numerous indecent images of children, including extensively graphic videos totaling approximately two and a half hours in duration.
Many of these images depicted the sexual abuse of toddlers, with descriptions too gruesome to be publicly shared.
It was also found that Midgley was actively engaged in sending depraved images via an email account to another individual with similar depraved interests.
The images uncovered on the seized mobile devices included photographs of boys and girls, some as young as two years old, being subjected to various forms of sexual abuse.
The authorities established that Midgley was responsible for 12 separate offences, which included three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of distributing such images, one charge for failing to comply with a notification requirement, two breaches of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), and three additional counts related to possession of indecent photographs.
The defendant did not contest these charges, choosing to plead guilty.
It was also revealed that Midgley had a prior conviction in 2015, when he was sentenced to three years and four months in prison after being caught downloading and sending images and videos depicting child abuse for the second time within a span of 18 months.
This history of offending underscored the serious nature of the current case.
During the court proceedings, Stephen Constantine, representing Midgley, argued that a psychological report indicated the defendant had an IQ of just 71.
Counsel stated that if his IQ had been even a point lower, Midgley might have been classified within the learning disabled category.
Constantine emphasized that the defendant's primary mitigation was his guilty plea, which demonstrated cooperation with authorities, as he had acknowledged possessing the images and had not attempted to conceal his involvement beyond hiding the initial phones.
The defense appealed for the court not to classify Midgley as a dangerous offender, suggesting that this should be his 'last chance.' However, Judge Stephen Ashurst, citing the psychological findings and Midgley's prior offences, firmly determined that he posed a significant risk of re-offending.
The judge highlighted the disturbing nature of the images, describing them as particularly depraved, involving the rape and abuse of very young children by adult perpetrators.
In light of these facts, Midgley, who resides on Leybourn Terrace, Stockton, was sentenced to six years in prison, with an additional four years on license for the distribution of indecent images.
Furthermore, he received a concurrent two-year sentence for the remaining charges.
The court also issued a new indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to monitor and restrict his activities moving forward.
