Low sentence for Eton student **Title edited by MNHQ**

[winkywinkola]

I was utterly amazed to read how this man has got away with such disturbing behaviour. Unbelievable.

Apparently the judge found the images so disgusting he couldn't bring himself to deliver justice describe them. Wtf? Really? Why?

However, I've discovered there is a petition going around requesting a review of this sentence.]]

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

Very true, Sue, but if it were a single mum/dad. They'd be thrown in with out a doubt..
All in this together. My arse.

[EElisavetaOfBelsornia]

He's not "roaming freely". In addition to 18 months probation, a mental health treatment requirement and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, he will be on the Sex Offender register and subject to Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements.

[SueLawleyandNicholasWitchell]

He distributed photos of 2 year olds being raped and forced to have sex with animals.

I don't care that he is rich or well-connected. I don't care that it is in line with sentencing of others. I think that it is abhorrent and he should face a custodial sentence, and so should others guilty of this kind of crime.

When you "" it gives the impression that you are frustrated that us stupid people can't grasp that in fact being on a sex offenders register and the other things you mentioned mean that there indeed has been a sentence imposed. He has indeed been "let off" having his liberty taken away.

My view is that he should imprisoned for what he did. Perhaps he could meet each one of the parents of those 2000 children when he gets out, to explain to them why he feels the rape of their toddler makes for entertainment.

[Paloper]

I don't think he's been let off to roam free, he's on the register, he's being given treatment, whether we believe it'll work doesn't matter, his name and picture have also been made public, which will effect him and his family for the rest of his life, Mummy and Daddy's money may make his life easier e.g get him a job through connections and remove articles about him but there's nothing the law can do about that.

I do think how some people have reacted to this situation is due to his privilege, how many who have defended him and have even referred to him as a nice boy, would do the same if he was a boy off a council estate, wearing a hoody instead of a suit?

[winkywinkola]

Eelisa. How very patronising.

It's a slapped wrist. Nothing more.

He will do it again.

I really hope they throw the book at him and all other scumbags who are part of this evil business.

[Pantone363]

He was watching, downloading and sharing videos of children being forced to have sex with dogs.

No prison sentence? He needs a fucking bullet

[Pantone363]

and lololol at the people who say 'oh he's on the sex offenders register'

Who gives a fuck about that? Our well known local peadophile hangs around Starbucks talking to the mums and cooing over their kids. He gets his dole money and sits there reading comics all week and chatting to the young kids coming in for their drinks. The sex offenders register is making a huge difference there.

[Sallygoroundthemoon]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned much in the media is the fact that he was a child himself when the offences were committed. This does not of course in any way excuse it and the crimes were horrific but the sentencing might be partly due to that.

[PortobelloRoad]

It's a comparable sentence as Augusta has written. Nothing to do with his background at all so you should eat that chip on your shoulder before it goes cold.

Now the sentences in general may be too light for these kind of crimes but that's a different matter altogether.


Yes of course they all have friends in high places.

This guys father is a top lawyer but generally speaking, not every single privately educated person or Etonian has huge connections that can help them get away with whatever they want. Even when they do it doesn't always matter.

A boy at my DS's school drunk drove and killed 2 people, he was punished as anyone else else would be (quite rightly) despite some serious (as weighty as this persons father if not more) legal connections. These things don't matter nearly as much as some seem to think they do.


What he did was absolutely abhorrent but making it about his schooling and background is irrelevant.

[Tate15]

Forget he is rich. Forget his family have connection.

The simple truth is that paedophiles do not pick and choose their crimes such as a burglar would.

A Paedophile is a Paedophile by nature and I have yet to see any strong evidence that they can be cured.

I also believe that if a horrendous crime is committed and this is a horrendous crime, that no amount of remorse or making good should go over and above that of being punished.

The offences were so serious I believe a long custodial sentence is the only fitting punishment in light of not being able to string him up.

Not only has he got off lightly but it will affect future cases who will use him as leverage for other offenders to also benefit from a softer punishment.

[TealLove]

WTF ?!
Where did it say the pictures contained what you describe about sex with animals.
I just lost what little faith I had in humanity.

[Baconyum]

So sick of paedos being released AT ALL huge amounts of evidence and research that they do not stop, they are not curable, they do re-offend (not getting caught/prosecuted perhaps because victims can't face testifying is NOT the same thing!). Lock up throw away key!

[SueLawleyandNicholasWitchell]

See link

Some of the clips showed children as young as two being raped and forced to have sex with dogs.

Read more: metro.co.uk/2016/02/26/eton-student-who-shared-photos-of-children-as-young-as-two-being-raped-is-spared-jail-5718665/#ixzz41U4EdqFE


Andrew Picard, 18, was found to have more than 2,000 pornographic images of children as young as 2-years-old, including rape and bestiality.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/eton-pupil-andrew-picard-convicted-of-creating-and-sharing-child-abuse-images-a6896966.html




But we can all breathe easy because luckily he is undergoing "extensive counselling" which is such a relief. Pheweee.

[TealLove]

Dear God. I honestly cannot believe that. These "people" who watch these images for kicks and gratification should be locked away. The "people" who produce them should be put somewhere in a hole in the ground.

[winkywinkola]

Believe me, the fact that his father is a top lawyer will have plenty to do with it.

Why is it called having a chip on your shoulder when it's well known that the rich and powerful everywhere get away with so much? What utter bollocks.

Judges aren't always right you know. And barristers have to defend all sorts of creeps and find loop holes etc.

[AugustaFinkNottle]

Very true, Sue, but if it were a single mum/dad. They'd be thrown in with out a doubt

Can you actually cite examples of that, Ilive? Because a number of lawyers working in the field who have dealt with similar cases, including, I'm sure, ones where the perpetrators are single parents, don't seem to think there is any discrepancy. Likewise, OP, can you cite examples as you are essentially saying the same?

Our well known local paedophile hangs around Starbucks talking to the mums and cooing over their kids. He gets his dole money and sits there reading comics all week and chatting to the young kids coming in for their drinks.

So have you reported that to the police or Starbucks management, Pantone?

I really don't think we can ignore the statistics that demonstrate that those that get custodial sentences for this type of offence have a much worse reoffending rate. Isn't it better for society that people who do this should be stopped from reoffending, whether by treatment or otherwise, than that they should be locked away for a short time and come out reinforced in their perversions by the company they've been keeping?

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

Yes I can give you an example. My poor mother who basically worked herself into an early grave.
Was bombarded with letters about bailiffs coming due to non payment of council tax.
And prison commital letters. Luckily my grandad paid off every thing she owed, she had to swallow her pride and ask for help.
So please do not imply that iam imagining things. I've seen it too close up.

[Ubik1]

Initially I was horrified. But people who seem to know what they are talking about have swayed me and I think that his sentence is appropriate.

I think the revulsion at what this young man did is the overriding factor Bd perhaps we feel more strongly because he is awealthy well educated young man.

I'm horrified he was sharing material with teens in chat rooms.

I suppose as a parent we just want these damaged people locked away to protect children. But if that doesn't stop them from reoffending then that is not the answer.

[Tate15]

Defending, Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC said that Picard had been undergoing psychological treatment with psychiatrists and doctors in relation to the crimes. She said: “This is a young and very able man who has hopes for the future. He was able to have this opportunity [to seek help] and this was something Andrew sought for himself, by himself.”

*

They all say that after they've been caught!

[Tate15]

The computer in his school dormitory was seized and Picard admitted one count of possessing indecent pictures of children, one count of making indecent pictures of children and eight counts of distributing indecent photos or recordings of a child.

Can someone explain the one count of making indecent images? Does that mean he for a child or children to pose for a picture?

[MamaLazarou]

I wish there had been a warning on the link to the petition. There are some very upsetting descriptions on the page

[Ubik1]

+I really don't think we can ignore the statistics that demonstrate that those that get custodial sentences for this type of offence have a much worse reoffending rate*

Could you read it another way? Could it be that those who get a custodial sentence have already reoffended a multitude of times Nd also committed higher category crimes? Thus making them more difficult to rehabilitate? Doesn't that mean the community intervention has actually failed these people?

[RitaVinTease]

Signed.

How about punishment and rehab? They are not mutually exclusive.

[PortobelloRoad]

Why is it called having a chip on your shoulder when it's well known that the rich and powerful everywhere get away with so much? What utter bollocks.


Why did you put "Eton" in your title? His school is irellevant, it's always the same "public schoolboy" "Eton" etc, why does it make any difference?

It's chippy because people have repeatedly said that this sentence is comparable to others from not so cushy backgrounds. The assumption that he's "gotten away with it" because he went to a fancy school without looking at the facts and sentencing guidelines and actual legal opinions = chippy.

I didn't say judges were always right, I think sex crime sentences in general are far too low in general, I think this sentence is applaing and as Rita says, there is no reason why these people can't be treated and punished at the same time, but his money, again, has nothing to do with it.

[Catnuzzle]

Tate making an image can just be editing an image, not actually creating it yourself. Unlikely he has actually abused the victims in person, there are other offences which cover that.