Web paedophile jailed for four years

A 35 year-old computer consultant was today sentenced to four years imprisonment after he admitted downloading more than 96,000 paedophilic images and movies from the net. Ian Baldock, 35, from St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of distribution of indecent images of children and 32 counts of making indecent images of children.

His Honour Judge Kemp jailed Baldock for four years for the charges of possession, three years for the charges of distribution and three year for the charges of making images of child abuse. All three sentences are to run concurrently.

It's the second time bald Baldock has been convicted of child abuse offences. In 1998 he arrested as part of Operation Cathedral, a National Crime Squad investigation into the "Wonderland Club", and subsequently jailed for two and a half years.

The latest investigation into Baldock began in April 2004, following the June 2003 arrest of David Ward in York. In June 2004 Ward was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment at York Crown Court after pleading guilty to the attempted rape of a nine-month old baby girl, taking indecent photographs of the assault and the distribution of more than 33,000 indecent images of children. Ward made these images available on an internet file service which, investigators discovered, was frequently accessed by Baldock. The investigation into Baldock was led by the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit assisted by officers from Sussex Police.

Detective Chief Superintendent Mick Deats, Head of the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit, said: "Trading in indecent images of children is a despicable crime and we are determined to track and find those who perpetrate it. This is not a victimless offence. The images show real children, suffering real time abuse and we are determined to find those responsible and bring them to justice.

"Law enforcement is determined to identify, target and prosecute criminals who abuse children on or off-line. If people like Ian Baldock did not create the demand for these images, there would be no reason for their supply. We are sending out a clear message that that there is no hiding place for paedophiles on the Internet," he added. ®

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