April 2001

Porn ring member escapes jail sentence at the Old Bailey

A MEMBER of a child porn ring, who worked as a carer at a children’s home in Harpenden, escaped jail on Thursday, April 26.

Graeme McLeod, 48, from Cleveland, was jailed for three years and three months at St Albans Crown Courtlast year for abusing a child while working at the Highfield Oval National Children’s Home in Harpenden, which has since closed.

He escaped a jail sentence this week, however, despite pleading guilty at the Old Bailey in London to distributing child pornography.

The court heard how, as a result of the earlier investigation into McLeod, police from Hertfordshire’s Child Protection and Investigation Unit recovered a large amount of material from his home address and launched Operation Micro.

This led to this week’s hearing, which saw McLeod sentenced to serve a community rehabilitation order by Judge Simon Coltart at the Old Bailey.

He was joined in the dock by David Griffiths, 47, from Chester, and former ambulanceman Geoffrey Foulds, 62, from Newark Nottinghamshire, who also received a community rehabilitation order after police discovered they had been trading pornographic images with McLeod.

In a letter written after his arrest McLeod wrote: “There has been a considerable amount of discussion recently about rehabilitation, even curing paedophiles.

“I do not believe this is possible. I am a paedophile.”

Operation Micro saw 18 arrests across the UK including those of Griffiths and Foulds.

Counsel for the prosecution Stuart Trimmer explained they had all met through an agency called Postal Pen Friends and “shared an interest in child pornography”.

But, all three men escaped jail after Judge Coltart said: “I take the view that the public’s long-term interest will be best served by you receiving help and treatment to try and manage any risk you might present in the long term.

“That is going to be more effective in protecting the public and reducing the trade in pornography than merely sentencing you to a term of imprisonment.

“The gravity of these offences is that because of your desire to view such material there is in existence a corrupting trade which lures boys under 16 in front of the camera to perform sex acts.

“I take the view that each of you represents a potential risk to children resulting from your interest in this sort of material.

“Where a sentence of imprisonment for some months would be extremely unpleasant for you, it is unlikely that anything positive would be done in the sentence to reduce the risk.”

The judge passed a two-year community rehabilitation order on Foulds, a 21-month term on McLeod and 18 months on Griffiths.

They will all have to seek treatment and remain on the sex offenders register for five years.