TIMOTHY STEPHENS, POOLE KARATE CHAMP, SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN BOURNEMOUTH

In a case that has shocked the community of Poole and the wider Bournemouth area, Timothy Stephens, a former world karate champion, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after admitting to a series of serious sexual offences. The 50-year-old, who has been a prominent figure in the local martial arts scene for over two decades, was found guilty of a total of 43 charges related to child exploitation, indecent images, and grooming activities.

The court proceedings revealed disturbing details about Stephens' criminal conduct. Prosecutor Mark Worsley described the extent of the evidence seized during his arrest in June of the previous year. Police officers arrived at Stephens' residence on Alcester Road in Poole to investigate a complaint, only to uncover a trove of illicit material. The search yielded a bedroom filled wall-to-wall and nearly floor-to-ceiling with DVDs, films, and a significant collection of adult and legal pornography. Multiple computers and an extensive array of hard drives were confiscated, with the analysis taxing the resources of Dorset Police’s high-tech crime unit.

Further investigations uncovered evidence of Stephens grooming a teenage girl through online communications. The court heard that these conversations quickly escalated into overtly sexual and inappropriate exchanges. Stephens attempted to send the girl an indecent photograph of himself and requested that she reciprocate. One of the most serious charges involved a 2005 incident where Stephens was caught on camera assaulting a woman while she was asleep, an act for which he also took photographs.

In addition to these offences, detectives found that Stephens had set up a hidden camera in his bathroom, which was used to secretly record individuals. The indictment included nine counts of voyeurism related to this device. The court also heard that Stephens had taken, made, and possessed a vast number of indecent photographs—over 4,000 images of a single girl alone, some of which he used as a screensaver collage on his computer. The charges covered a range of indecent images, classified from level one to level four, with the most serious being level five. These images involved numerous children, highlighting the disturbing nature of his activities.

During the hearing, Stephens’ defense solicitor, Anne Brown, argued for a community-based sentence rather than imprisonment. She described the offences as “pathetic” and “desperate,” emphasizing that Stephens had not actively sought to offend but had taken advantage of opportunities that presented themselves. Ms Brown pointed out that her client had already suffered significant consequences, losing his reputation, career, and standing in the community.

However, Judge Peter Johnson emphasized the breach of trust involved in Stephens’ actions. He condemned the defendant for violating the trust of friends, neighbors, family members, and especially young children. As part of his sentence, the judge ordered Stephens’ computers to be destroyed and imposed strict restrictions. Stephens is now prohibited from taking photographs of children, purchasing a computer or mobile phone without informing police, and contacting anyone under the age of 16 online. Additionally, he will be registered as a sex offender indefinitely and is disqualified from working with children.

In summing up, Judge Johnson stated, “Over a prolonged period of offending, you violated all types of people, most particularly young children.” The court’s decision reflects the gravity of Stephens’ crimes and the community’s need for protection from such predatory behaviour.