August 2015

Convicted paedophile who accessed indecent images of children jailed for three years

A convicted paedophile who accessed child abuse images on the internet was jailed for three years.

Mark Andrew Clark (47) was found to have a collection of indecent images, mainly of young boys, when the police examined his laptop computer, in June last year.

Leicester Crown Court was told in 2001 Clark was jailed for eight years for indecently assaulting boys under 14 and downloading child abuse images

Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said: “His sex offender manager received information that the defendant was downloading indecent images of children and a warrant at his then home in Humberstone Gate, Leicester, was searched.”

When questioned Clark sought to blame one or two others, whom he said had access to his laptop.

However, he pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of youngsters, including some movies.

The offences related to 208 images in the most serious bracket, category A, 190 images in category B and 376 in category C.

Clark, a refuse collector, who moved to Lincoln following his arrest, also admitted distributing four indecent category C images of children to a few people he encountered via social media.

He also admitted failing to notify the police that he had an e-mail address in a false name, in breach of a sex offenders notification requirement he was subject to.

Mr Murphy said that 132 still images and five films in the A category were of children, mainly boys, aged between five and 13 years.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Hammond said: “The category A images relate to serious and depraved material involving penetrative sexual activity, amongst other acts.

“How anyone can derive any enjoyment from watching such images defies logic.

“Children’s lives have been ruined creating these images.

“I wonder if those who view this material consider the amount of damage caused to children.

“The defendant is a persistent and a remorseless sex offender, with a particular interest in young boys.”

Clark was placed on a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Fernando Rodriguez, mitigating, said Clark was released from prison in 2007.

He was contacted by a former inmate in 2013 who showed him some images of children and “temptation got the better of him.”

Clark then began viewing the illegal material.

He said Clark had actively avoided going to places such as parks where children may be and there was no suggestion of him having committed any “contact” offences since his release.

Although he has been on sex offender courses, he would benefit from further assistance, said Mr Rodriguez.

December 2001

Paedophile was given job as care worker

A PAEDOPHILE who abused a Suffolk boy was employed as a care assistant in Ipswich though he had a conviction for having indecent photos of kids.

The Evening Star can today reveal how a man convicted of possessing indecent photographs and slides was able to work as a carer with vulnerable patients in Suffolk – before being caught for even more serious crimes against children.

Mark Clark is today starting an eight-year jail term for a string of sexual offences involving children including sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy and showing his victim pornographic images.

But for part of the period he was abusing his young victim, Clark was working for Everycare (SE Anglia) Ltd – a care organisation licensed by Suffolk County Council until six months ago when the contract was terminated.

A council spokesman said the firm had been franchised by SCC primarily to provide care for “older people and people with physical difficulties”.

The council did not “particularly” employ the firm for “anything that relates to childcare,” he said, adding, “it’s unlikely he would have come into contact with children”.

The spokesman added that all carers franchised by the council to work with children had to have a police check but said it would have been down to Everycare to carry out such a check on Clark.

No-one was available today from Everycare to confirm what type of patients Clark did work with or whether a police check was carried out but if one had been conducted, it would have revealed that he was fined £250 by magistrates in Essex five years ago for possessing indecent photos.

Yesterday, a judge at Ipswich Crown Court sentenced the pervert to six-years for abusing the 11-year-old child and two years for possessing pornographic images of young boys. His victim was a child he had met via another job as a door-to-door salesman.

In sentencing Clark, Judge John Holt said: “You had a compelling effect upon your victim. You are a paedophile and clearly a risk.”

Clark was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and was also given one-year sentences for storing pornographic videos and for showing pornography to the abused victim. Both these sentences will run concurrently.

Clark pleaded guilty to four charges of indecently assaulting the young boy between March 1, 1999 and April 26, 2001.

Clark also pleaded guilty to four charges of taking photographs of a child under 16 years of age. These offences were said to have occurred in the same period.

Clark also agreed that he had committed six offences of possessing indecent photographs of children between March 1, 1999 and April 26, 2001, with a view to distributing or showing them to others.

Some of these photographs had been shown to the 11-year-old boy who he abused.

Clark, who formerly lived in Ipswich, recently moved to Queens Road, Leicester after suffering abuse from neighbours.

Before taking a job as a catalogue salesman, Clark had spent six years working as a qualified psychiatric nurse.

An additional order was made that he never has anything more to do with the education of children.

Speaking after the case, the officer who investigated the case – Detective Constable Richard Ford of the Ipswich Child Protection Unit – said: “Eight years is a fair sentence, but I would like to praise the victim for the courage they have shown in the way they have dealt with this case.

“We are a child protection unit based in Ipswich and we deal with mental, physical and sexual offences on minors. Something like this proves we can successfully investigate and convict.

The Ipswich Child Protection Unit can be contacted through Suffolk Police on            01473 613500      .