Devastated by conviction for child sex abuse images - need a handhold. Trigger Warning *title edited by MNHQ*

[thisstorywtf]

NC for this. My PhD supervisor, mentor and friend. WTF? Am reeling.

www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/former-cov-uni-professor-more-17792626

So according to the judge he did it because he was bored in retirement, not because he is a fucked up depraved paedophile

It states that he was convicting of MAKING and viewing child abuse images and he also admitted to distributing them.

This sentence is a joke and a fucking insult to those children.

I totally get how you feel OP.

There should be some method in place for having sentences reviewed if enough people protest. I would happily sign petitions for both this and for the judge to have their sentencing history reviewed with a view to have them fired without a pension if unsatisfactory.

💐For you OP and all the other people deeply affected.

My thoughts and sympathy are with the children tortured in that material.

bringing I can imagine you in RL, opening your trap without engaging your brain one iota.

Op I'm so sorry for you, what an awful shock

They are everywhere and they keep being let off with excuses. Two separate people I know had sob stories about being scared to ask for help and how desperate they are to change and they were let off with similar weak “punishments”. It’s ridiculous.

Just shown this to my husband not realising that he is also a former student. He's upset too.

Bring has apologised!

OP, having been so close and put your trust in a man who turns out to have been an abuser is hugely triggering.

Would it be worth getting some help?

Also there are lots of specific details about your life that could be identifying amongst what must be a reasonably small pool of people so have a think about whether being ‘outed’ would make you feel more or less vulnerable?

Wishing you well in shocking times.

So sorry OP.

I've been through similar - with my father . So I understand the utter devastation, rage and sadness you will be feeling. It was like being in a washing machine- just When you find a tiny moment of stability you get flipped upside down and washed around in the horrendouness of all these powerful wretched emotions again.

My lasting impression of the entire experience is there is so much collusion, so much protection of the offenders (at least the white educated ones), and no one really gives a shit about the children involved.

I look at the world and in a much much much harsher way now and that can never be recovered from really. A lot of people on Mumsnet say time and time again "there is not a paedo on every corner" but my experience and the story of men like this leads me to think that there really really is.

This is much much much wider spread than we think.

The term child porn isn't an actual term since children cannot take part in porn. The actual term is child sexual abuse images/videos. He is someone that is encouraging child abuse and child sexual abuse by seeking out these disgusting videos and images and he should be in prison

@Sassanacs
Yes. You summed it up perfectly.

I'm sorry OP, how awful.

That judge. The "tragedy" of the successful academic on a fat pension with too much time on his hands. Not a word about the tragedy of children raped and abused for him to wank over. Sickening.

Op, what a fucking nightmare. Especially in the dead of night. I can imagine your head is a whirl. Be nice to yourself today and try to eat something and get some rest. A trashy novel or tv show or something for distraction if you get a chance.

Bit of a side note, but I shudder whenever I hear the word porn, it's so vile. Who hears the phrase "child porn" and doesn't immediately think of abuse?

@Sassanacs "Making" means downloading, not creating. It's a confusing legal term. Obviously that doesn't make what happened okay but the two are different and I didn't want OP suffering even more than she currently is.

It states that he was convicting of MAKING and viewing child abuse images and he also admitted to distributing them.

The legal language is confusing here. In this context 'making' means downloading i.e. effectively making a copy. It does not mean he created the images by photography or video.

'Distributing' is making available to others e.g. sharing a link.

Just for clarity, not minimising.

OP the news story mentions the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, you may be helped by Googling them, they provide help for family, friends and anyone else affected.

I'm sorry, OP. That's really dreadful. It must be really horrible to think you know someone and then learn this. The masks people wear

Handhold OP, it’s awful, the sentence is an absolute joke, as usual with cases like this.

It is really scary, a business acquaintance of ours was convicted for his crimes and sentenced to just 7 years, we were totally shocked and upset when we saw the reports in the mainstream media. You never think it will be a person that you know or have worked with or met. And that is the most frightening thing, you would just never suspect. And the ridiculous excuses they come up with to try to justify their evil actions, death of a partner, retirement etc, beyond disgusting.

Take care of yourself, it’s been a terrible shock for you, I can tell from your posts.

I am so sorry, often child abusers hide in plain sight.
I think serious questions should be asked about the judge and his mentality. It seems that children are a cheap commodity in some minds. But the selfish bastard will find that for the rest of his life he will be publicly shunned and shamed.
And as for the excuse of being at a loose end.............words fail me.

There should be some method in place for having sentences reviewed if enough people protest.

I think there is. Not sure what the criteria is but I'm sure I've heard that the public can ask for a review of a sentence of its considered too lenient.

Terrible shock it might be! But think about the victims. Need to put things in perspective. With internet providing such easy access, I predict more weirdos and sickos. There are real victims in this industry. You just need to challenge the unchallengeable.

If he gets kicks from watching this, there must be times when he/other similar viewers wanting to effect the scene to get the ultimate sick thrill!

Unless someone else downloaded them on his internet.. That's also possible.

goo.gl/search/Can+the+public+get+a+court+sentence+reviewed
Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme – House of Commons Library It is important to understand that any member of the public may ask for a Crown Court sentence to be reviewed. The person who asks does not have to be involved in the case, though they may be, for example as a victim or relative of a victim. Only one person needs to ask for the review.

Sorry! So he actually admitted to it. Bin this friendship. He's sick and no children should suffer for this kind of pleasure.