Bournemouth man who distributed indecent child images is jailed

A pervert who was caught with 71 indecent images and distributed a further 43 images, some including children as young as three, told police he “stumbled across the images” and was collecting more before sending the matter to the police.

Ian Hardwick, 54, of Bath Road, Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images, three counts of distributing images, one count of possessing extreme porn, depicting bestiality, and three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

He was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday.

Prosecuting, Alec Williams said: “These offences came to light as a result of an investigation which began when a member of a national crime agency posing as an adult on social media Kik.

“An engagement began with this defendant who had the username Really Bad Monkey.

“Mr Hardwick began a conversation about the abuse of children which triggered a search warrant to be undertaken of Mr Hardwick’s address.”

Officers found 27 images of category A, the worst category, 25 of which were moving, 13 images of category B, 11 of which were moving and 31 images of category C, four of which were moving.

They also found the defendant had distributed at least 43 images, five of which were category A, two moving and with children as young as three.

Mr Williams added: “He was arrested, interviewed and over the course of that interview gave an account he had initially stumbled across indecent images and was so concerned he was looking to collect more so he could bring the matter to the police.”

Some of the messages sent to the children, who weren’t actually real, including telling an 11-year-old she couldn’t get pregnant if she was on her period and that he wanted to involve her mother in sexual activity.

 Judge Robert Pawson sentenced Hardwick to a total of 30 months in prison.

“I have got no doubt whatsoever you have a sexual interest in children, there is no other explanation for what you did,” Judge Pawson said.

“The behaviour was depraved and utterly cynical. Had the sentence been 24 months I would not have suspended it.”

Hardwick was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.

June 2021

Ashley Paulley, also known as Ashley Pauley, aged 20, of Court Close, Bridport.

Admitted three counts of being a person aged 18 or over, intentionally touching a girl aged 14, not reasonably believing she was aged 16 or over, and the touching was sexual.

Community order: To comply with rehabilitation activity and carry out unpaid work for 100 hours. Restraining order made. To pay victim surcharge of £95.

Required to register with police in accordance with the Sexual Offences Act for 5 years.

June 2021

Mark Pidgley jailed at Bournemouth Crown Court for two years for taking secret images of young girl

A Christchurch man who took hundreds of clandestine images of a young girl has been jailed for two years.

Mark Pidgley (46), of Portfield Close, shared 46 of the images he took with other users on the Kik mobile phone app and made comments about the victim, Bournemouth Crown Court heard.

In one message the former fence company worker said he had “not f***ed” her “yet”, prosecutor Stuart Ellacott said.

Police became aware of the sharing of other generic abuse images and investigated, Mr Ellacott said, leading them to Pidgley – who initially claimed he had shared such images to “trap” other people on the internet who might have an unhealthy interest in children.

However, officers eventually uncovered the 316 images he had taken of the young victim – who cannot be named for legal reasons.

In a second police interview Pidgley came clean about his offending.

At court the defendant admitted 10 charges; four related to the girl while the other six related to generic abuse images he shared or distributed via the Kik app. The generic images featured children as young as one, Mr Ellacott added.

Judge Brian Forster rebuffed suggestions by Mr Hoarder that a suspended sentence or community term accompanied by rehabilitation could be considered.

“Unfortunately I cannot do so because the facts of this case are shocking and serious,” he said.

As well as the jail term, he gave Pidgley a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, banned him from contacting the victim indefinitely and ordered the related devices be destroyed.

March 2016

Jack Larcombe given community order for sexually assaulting a teenage girl

A man has been handed a community order for sexually assaulting a teenage girl.

Jack Larcombe, also known as Jack Wilson, appeared at Dorchester Crown Court to be sentenced after admitting the charge of assault by penetration.