A convicted sex offender – on the register for life – was caught in possession of indecent images of children as young as 3, just days after he was spotted taking pictures of children at a popular seaside event.
Kevin Weeden, 67, of Victoria Avenue in Shanklin, admitted a pair of making indecent image offences when he appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court earlier this week (Tuesday).
Prosecutor Serena Edwards told the court that parents attending Shanklin Regatta on 10th August 2023 raised reports of a man taking photos of children at the popular event.
Among those concerned was an off-duty Police officer who managed to identify the man as Weeden, with the 67-year-old subsequently arrested and his house searched.
During that search, officers seized a phone, a tower PC and photography gear. Thorough examinations of those devices found a total of 10 indecent child images in Weeden’s possession.
The images, including 3x Category A and 7x Category B images, depicted children as young as between 3 and 5 years old, the court heard. No indecent images were found to have been taken during Shanklin Regatta.
Weeden initially claimed he was ‘shocked’ to see the images and had ‘no idea’ where they had come from. In a second police interview, he continued to say he had ‘no idea’ how the images were present but that that he would ‘take responsibility’.
The court heard how Weeden was placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for life back in 2000 after he was convicted of 12 indecent assaults against an underage girl.
Magistrates, who opted to retain jurisdiction in the case, adjourned proceedings until 25th August, when an all-options pre-sentence report will be prepared.
