A Boroughbridge man has been jailed for taking indecent photographs of a three-year-old girl and three other offences involving indecent images of children.
Geoffrey Crowther, 72, a self-employed heavy goods driver, was sentenced to 12 months in jail at York Crown Court today (August 26) and was placed on the sex offenders’ register.
Mr Crowther previously pleaded guilty to four charges of:
- making four indecent images of children in the most serious Category A, between 14 June 2017 and 14 November 2018
- making three indecent images of children in Category B during the same period
- making 10 indecent images of children in Category C during the same period
- taking indecent images of a child in Category C between 30 April 2017 and 14 November 2018 – these relate to first generation images which Crowther took secretly of a three-year-old girl on two different smart phones
North Yorkshire Police’s Online Abuse and Exploitation Team arrested Mr Crowther on November 12, 2018, and carried out a search warrant of his home following intelligence of suspicious website activity linked to him.
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Numerous telephones and other devices were seized for examination by the force’s Digital Forensics Unit.
Mr Crowther was then charged on April 1, 2020, and later pleaded guilty at York Crown Court on July 9.
Safeguarding measures have been put in place regarding the youngster whose photograph was taken by Crowther. Police are satisfied there have been no contact offences against the girl.
DC Fiona Saunderson, of the Online Abuse & Exploitation Team, said:
“Geoffrey Crowther did something unthinkable by taking indecent images of a young child. His despicable actions were a grotesque breach of trust which has devastated lives.”
DC Saunderson added:
“Crowther claimed he did not have a sexual interest in children. But when presented with the evidence he admitted to taking indecent photographs of a three-year-old girl.
“Again, he stated he got no sexual gratification from them and that he had deleted the photos immediately.
“Despite his continued denials that he has a sexual interest in children, all the evidence, including his very specific online search history, suggests otherwise.
“Crowther still hasn’t properly explained why he has been taking and making and indecent images of children.”
