May 2019

Paedophile ex-British Army lieutenant colonel jailed for three years

A disgraced former senior Army officer was jailed today for asking mothers in the Philippines to sexually abuse their children in front of him on webcam.

Andrew Whiddett, 70, of Portsmouth, had served in the forces with distinction for 30 years and ‘dedicated his life to the country’ before moving into security in the Middle East – including working at the British Embassy in Baghdad.

But sentencing Whiddett to three years and two months behind bars, a judge told the former lieutenant colonel that he was going to jail despite ‘exceptional testimonials’ from former colleagues.

Judge Nicholas Ainley said: ‘I have borne in mind and I’m well aware of the dedicated service to this country by the defendant. But children, wherever they are in the world, have to be protected from this kind of activity.

‘This is a 70-year-old man who has been a dedicated and courageous man to this country, a devoted husband and father left bereft by being widowed a few years ago – and also somebody who has abused two young Filipino children.

‘There is no getting around that particular fact. Children who are in danger have to be protected from those who would engage in any sexual activity with them and particular individuals have to be punished by way of imprisonment.’

Croydon Crown Court heard that Whiddett was brought to the attention of authorities after sending more than £9,000 to ‘known facilitators’ in the Philippines between February 2013 and June 2017.

Officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA), Britain’s equivalent to the FBI, seized his phone, iPad and laptop in October 2017 and unearthed 19 indecent images of children – as well as horrifying Skype chats detailing child abuse.

In a chat with a user called ‘Honest Girl’, a woman told Whiddett: ‘She’s nine years old, her birthday is tomorrow’ and Whiddett made a crude comment about the child.

He then sent the woman just over £30 after messaging her a series of commands of how to abuse the child on November 21, 2015.

Whiddett, who has since married an Indonesian woman he met online, pleaded guilty to six charges before his trial was due to start.

The father-of-three was jailed for one count of intent to cause a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity relating to the chat with ‘Honest Girl’ in 2015.

He also admitted causing or inciting a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity in September 2016, arranging or facilitating a sexual offence against a child, and three counts of having indecent images of children.

Prosecutor Amanda Hamilton said: ‘Between February 15, 2013 and June 29, 2017 Mr Whiddett sent over £9,000 to the Phillipines.

‘The Crown don’t say what most of that money was for. The Crown know that Mr Whiddett had a relationship with a woman in the Philippines. Three of the women to whom money was sent where known facilitators.

‘On October 31, 2017, Mr Whiddett was arrested as he arrived into Heathrow Airport. He was interviewed; he said he was a widower and had been since 2013.

‘He had been in the Army for, I believe, 30 years until 1997 and worked for security companies in the Middle East.

‘He said he paid for live-streaming of sexual content with adult women in the Philippines who he met on a website called Cherry Blossom.’

She added that he said he watched women take off their clothes and perform sex acts, and was not aware of any illegal images on his devices.

Ms Hamilton said: ‘He said he searched for young Asian girls but he meant girls between 18 and 20, not children.’

The court heard during a Skype chat with ‘Honest Girl’ in November 2015, Whiddett used a fake name of Nick Nicholls and asked a mother to abuse her child.

Although video footage was never found, the typed messages where recovered and the woman indicated she was with her nine-year-old daughter.

Ms Hamilton said: ‘Mr Whiddett’s responses indicate he accepted what she told him about the age of the child as he made comments about her body,

‘He typed responses such as ‘wow’ and ‘wish could meet in real’ and that he wished she lived in Manilla as it’s easier to visit.

‘He said he was ‘hard’ and told her to touch the child and asked if he could show the child his genitals.’

The charge of inciting or causing a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity and another of arranging or facilitating a sexual offence relates to the daughter of a Philippines woman Whiddett had been in a relationship with, the court heard.

It was said that Whiddett sent his girlfriend around £3,350 in 31 separate transactions which he later said ‘paid for her to have medical treatment, a hysterectomy and help her to finance a fruit store’.

The prosecutor continued: ‘On September 26, 2016 half an hour after midday, he started a chat under the name Nick Nicholls.

‘He asked if her daughter was ‘ready to watch’ and said the woman ‘had to teach her’.’

The court heard Whiddett wanted ‘everybody to be naked’ in the video chat and said of the woman’s daughter: ‘let her watch’.

In a series of messages after this, Whiddett is said to have asked for the girl to be ‘taught’ before he arrived in the country, which is the basis of the arranging and facilitating a sexual offence charge.

Ms Hamilton said: ‘He told her that her daughter needed to be talk more and he would like to see her genitals more. He said she would need lots of teaching before he arrived and she needed to ‘open her mind’ with ‘lots of teaching’.

‘The crown say Mr Whiddett’s instructions showed a clear instruction the child should be groomed for later abuse.’

Whidett is also said to have flown to Manilla for two weeks in October 2016 from London Heathrow, but prosecutors did not have any physical evidence of child abuse taking place.

The images related to five category C images made on April 26, 2017, three category C images made on May 3, 2016 and three category B images made on the same date.

Judge Nicholas Ainley said despite evidence Whiddett had displayed ‘dedicated service’ to the country – he would still jail him.

He said: ‘The defendant had shown an interest in dating Asian woman. There is nothing wrong or reprehensible about that but some way or other that perfectly legitimate interest in meeting women changed into a need to have some form of sexual relationship with people who were only children.

‘And that occurred with two different children with whom I’m concerned.

‘I will not sentence on the basis that the defendant’s offending goes beyond what the prosecution have been able to establish.’

Whiddett was jailed for 38 months for one count of intent to cause a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, one count of causing or inciting a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity, one count of arranging or facilitating a sexual offence against a child and three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

April 2019

Retired Portsmouth soldier paid £8,500 to live-stream child sex abuse from the Philippines

A former lieutenant colonel in the British Army spent thousands of pounds paying for and directing live-streamed child sexual abuse from the Philippines.

Andrew Whiddett, 70, from Portsmouth, also discussed flying to the country to commit contact child sexual abuse himself.

In conversations with one woman between September and October 2016, Whiddett made it clear he wanted to sexually abuse a child when he visited the Philippines that October.

In a 25-minute conversation with the woman on 28 September 2016 he asked if the girl will be with her and he said: ‘need to do more teaching’ and ‘Look forward to touch’, ‘yes darling, need to open her mind’ and ‘lots of teaching before I arrive’.

Travel records show he flew to Manila, Philippines, on 21 October 2016.

National Crime Agency investigators were able to prove that he paid this woman a total of £8,584.

He made 31 payments to her totalling £6,425 between January 2015 and January 2016.

And he made another 18 payments to her totalling £2,158 between April 2016 and July 2017.

At Croydon Crown Court, Whiddett admitted live-streaming offences and making indecent images of children.

Whiddett, who after leaving the Army was employed as a private contractor as head of security at the British Embassy in Baghdad, will be sentenced on 22 May.

His offending was carried out from the UK after he had retired from the Army and private security work.

Whiddett committed the live-streaming abuse over Skype with known Filipino child sex abuse facilitators. The NCA passed intelligence to Filipino counterparts who arrested one facilitator and safeguarded six children aged between three and 14.

NCA investigators were able to show that on 21 November 2015, Whiddett paid £31.41 to watch a nine-year-old girl be abused.

Officers discovered other messages between Whiddett and abuse facilitators.

In one he said ‘nice pics’ and another states ‘do you think I bad asking for them’.

He also asked: ‘If I visit would you let me see daughter’ and ‘If I visit what you allow me to do’.

Whiddett, who has no previous convictions, was arrested on 31 October 2017 at Heathrow Airport.

In interview he admitted sending 158 payments to the Philippines but claimed they were for live adult sex shows.

Whiddett was interviewed again in March 2018 and declined to answer any questions.

NCA senior investigating officer Gary Fennelly said: ‘Andrew Whiddett was directly responsible for the soul destroying abuse of children thousands of miles away from him.

‘He thought he could get away with abusing Filipino children from the comfort of his own home. Anyone like him should realise the NCA and UK police will never give up our pursuit of offenders who commit these horrific crimes.