April 2012

Man caught with child porn had ‘relationship’ with a life-sized doll

A MAN who claims to have had a six-year “relationship” with a life-sized doll called Alice has narrowly avoided jail.

Ian Michael Taylor, 54, was caught with more than 1,000 indecent images of children at his home.

Taylor, of Dunswell Road, Cottingham, was also found with a large collection of life-sized dolls and children’s clothing.

He claimed he was looking at the images with his dolls to get ideas for poses to put them in.

Hull Crown Court heard Taylor, who was described as “pathetic” and “lonely”, is now in a relationship with a 12in doll because she is “easier to transport” than Alice.

The Honorary Recorder of Hull and the East Riding, Judge Michael Mettyear, said: “He is a pathetic, lonely man whose preoccupation is with dolls. It is a pretty sad, lonely existence.”

Police raided Taylor’s former home in Beech Avenue, west Hull, on February 11 last year after receiving intelligence from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.

They seized his computer, two laptops, three memory sticks and computer discs containing 1,374 child porn photographs and videos.

Officers also found child-sized sex dolls, photographs of dolls and children’s clothing and underwear.

Taylor told the police: “I’m guilty. My life is over.”

Prosecutor Mark Kendall said: “He said he had been alone for 12 years and had a passion for dolls. He said ‘they don’t die and you can get spare parts for them’.

“He said he had been in a relationship with a doll called Alice for six years and was now in a relationship with a 12in model because she was easier to transport.

“He said his main attraction was to dolls and he looked at the images to get ideas for sculpting the dolls and posing them for photos.”

Taylor pleaded guilty to six counts of possessing indecent images of children, which he had downloaded over a two-year period.

His barrister Austin Newman said: “On the face of it, this fascination looks bizarre, but it had legitimate origins.

“Originally, he started off collecting antique dolls and it developed into making and sculpting dolls and dressing them. He had a genuine interest in dolls.

“He is a lonely, isolated, quite pathetic character and he clearly needs some assistance.”

Judge Mettyear sentenced Taylor to a three-year community order. He will also have to attend the Northumbria Sex Offenders Treatment Programme.

Judge Mettyear told Taylor: “The problem with viewing child porn is that those who put it on to the internet are encouraged to abuse children by the knowledge there are people like you who want to view it.

“Almost all of the images you had were very low level.

“I regard you as very low risk of causing any problems of any sort to any child now you have been given this warning.

“There are some bizarre elements of this case, particularly the interest you have in dolls, but it seems to be a genuine interest.

“It is a habit that, if you stayed away from porn sites, would be strange but innocent. This will be one of the very few cases that will not result in a prison sentence.

“You will be closely monitored for three years and hopefully any lingering temptation you might have to think in this way again will be quashed.

“You can regard yourself as very fortunate. I will be putting my trust in you and you will be expected to return that trust. If you fail you can be brought back to the court and be resentenced.