February 2016

Member of Star Wars fancy-dress fan group visiting schools exposed as convicted paedophile

tainton

A MEMBER of a Star Wars fancy-dress fan group visiting schools has been exposed as a convicted paedophile.

Perverted Simon Tainton, 43, attended children’s functions as an Imperial Stormtrooper.

He was jailed for a year in 2006 after police found more than 15,000 indecent images of children on his computer, including ones of babies being abused

But Tainton carried out charity work at children’s groups, hospitals and Legoland Windsor after joining the UK Garrison, part of the 7,000-strong 501st Legion group of Star Wars fans

Last summer he even helped to raise cash for children’s charity Barnado’s at a shopping centre day event.

Tainton also posed in full uniform for a function organised by the city’s boys’ and girls’ brigades.

The 501st UK Garrison is run by former EastEnders actor Gary Hailes, who played Barry Clark in the soap in the late 1980s.

He demanded that dad-of-two Tainton resign after discovering his criminal conviction.

The group announced that it had “due to circumstances beyond its control had to remove member Simon Tainton from the club.

“This decision was the only course of action available.”

Perverted Tainton, from Clifton, Nottingham, also spends his spare time as an erotic photographer.

Pornographic images of young women writhing naked on a bed are included in his portfolio.

He flogs many of his photos, including one of a naked woman holding a lightsaber for £57.66.

March 2006

Jailed for child abuse images

A Computer engineer has been jailed for a year after he downloaded more than 15,000 indecent images of children.

Simon Tainton downloaded images showing children as young as two, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

One image – originally created by the victim’s father – was circulated regularly on the internet, the court heard.

Tainton, 33, from Clifton, who has no previous convictions, is likely to serve only half of his sentence. The remainder is likely to be suspended on his release from prison on licence. He is also required to sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

He was arrested during Operation Ore, the investigation into more than 6,000 Britons who allegedly used credit cards to access internet child porn.

Tainton’s details were found on a database and during a police search of his home, porn was found on the hard drive of his computer.

“He accepted he viewed them and got sexual gratification from them and he was horrified at what he had done,” said Andrew Taiser, prosecuting. “He sought counselling and expresses his remorse.” Tainton had been viewing adult porn when he chanced upon child porn and downloaded it.

He had 10,970 images at level one (nudity and erotic posing), 3,701 at level two (sexual activity between children), 266 at level three (non-penetrative sexual activity between adult and child), 627 at level 4 (penetrative sexual activity between child and adult) and 24 at level 5 (sadism or bestiality). Three level five movies were also found, the court heard.

Tainton pleaded guilty to 14 specimen counts of making indecent photos and one additional charge of having an indecent photo between March 18, 2004, and April 4, 2005.

Defending, Laura Pittman said Tainton had not shared the images, adding: “He is getting help.” Sentencing Tainton, Judge Joan Butler, QC, said: “There was a huge number of images. Some were only babies, but all were extremely young. The level of stress on those children is incalculable.” She took into account Tainton’s guilty plea, his remorse and his motivation to get help.

Maggie Bucknall, of the Campaign Against Paedophile Accommodation, criticised the sentence for being too lenient. She said: “I don’t think judges are taking such horrendous offences seriously enough. People with no previous convictions hold that as a badge of honour in these cases.”