Jail term for child porn teacher
A teacher from Gresford, near Wrexham has been jailed for six months after being convicted of using his home computer to access child pornography.
David Mulvey, 51, who taught in Crewe, Cheshire, must also register as a sex offender for seven years and has been banned from ever working with children.
At his trial, Mulvey said he had no idea how 243 images and eight video clips had got onto his home computer.
The judge said Mulvey had downloaded images of children over three months.
Mulvey was also made the subject of a 10-year Sopo - Sexual Offences Prevention Order - similar to an Asbo but aimed at controlling sex offenders.
Tip-off
He was convicted last Friday of possessing the images and making one level four image of a child by downloading it off the internet.
The jury, which sat at Mold Crown Court, also convicted him of a further 11 counts of making indecent images by downloading them by a majority of 10 to two.
Mulvey's activities were uncovered when North Wales Police, acting on a tip-off from their Italian counterparts, went to his home in December 2006 as he downloaded two images, the trial heard.
Despite using a programme aimed at removing evidence of internet activity, police were able to recover a large number of images from the computer's hard drive using sophisticated software, the jury was told.
Judge John Rodgers QC, sitting at Mold Crown Court, said that in sentencing Mulvey he had taken into account his attempts to hide the images using the software he had downloaded.
His good character and the fact that the convictions would end his career as a school teacher had also been considered, said the judge.
Teaching position
But a request from the defence to suspend the prison sentence was refused by Judge Rogers.
"Bearing in mind that you contested this case to the bitter end, that would not be appropriate," he said.
Defending barrister Andrew Jebb said his client's conviction by the jury had meant he had lost his teaching position at St Thomas More Catholic High School, where he was also head of year eight.
He and his wife had put their home, her car and his motorcycle up for sale in order to combat the financial pressures, he told the court.
He had also lost his good name and he and his family would have to live with the stigma of the case, Mr Jebb added.
Mulvey was suspended from his teaching position when the allegations were first made.
They shouldn't let that tosser out.
ReplyDeleteLike that sicko Actor the other week. If someone can sit there and download this filth then it must be going through their minds in the first place.
I've noticed that these criminals are usually caught as a result of investigations by police in other countries. It's almost as if the British police have to be pushed into nicking them. I've also noticed that a lot of these people are middle class - you know, "respectable". Could there be a connection?
ReplyDeleteAnon said
ReplyDelete"it must be going through their minds in the first place."
Anon would you really want thoughts to be a crime?
We are talking basic human emotions here.
I doubt there is not one human on the planet who had not wished some person dead or harmed in some way.
I doubt there is not not one human on the planet who has not thought about stealing something.
I DO NOT doubt that every human on the planet has had Bad thoughts at sometime.
Having bad thoughts goes with the position of being human. It's called Sin.
Most humans though, do not stray beyond thought crime, so the prison population is relatively small.
Lock people up for thought crime and the streets would be empty, they would ALL be in jail.
PS The UK's anti terror laws have well strayed into thought crime territory.