A convicted child sex offender was caught with Category A indecent images after concerns about him photographing children at Shanklin Regatta prompted a Police investigation.
Kevin Weeden, 67, of Victoria Avenue in Shanklin, previously admitted a pair of making indecent image offences when he appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court back in June.
The 67-year-old appeared before magistrates – where a pre sentence report had been compiled – earlier this week (Tuesday).
At a previous hearing, Crown 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 who was a volunteer photographer for the Isle of Wight Observer was not working for them at Shanklin Regatta.
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. On that occasion, he was jailed for 21-months.
At today’s hearing, Nola Bond told court that Weeden believed he didn’t need to disclose his previous convictions because he was a volunteer rather than a paid employee.
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”.
Among Weeden’s internet history were searches for “YouTube Kids” and “do girls have pubic hair at the age of 9?”, court heard.
Defending the 67-year-old, Tom Cooke, said that his client wishes to engage with the probation service.
Magistrates, who deliberated for around 30-minutes, handed Weeden an 8-month prison sentence, suspended for 2-years. As part of the suspended sentence order he was ordered to complete 30 rehabilitation activity days.
A 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also imposed and Weeden was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £187 surcharge fee.
Weeden remains on the sex offenders register for life.
An Isle of Wight Observer spokesperson has said:
“Kevin Weedon supplied photographs of sporting and public events to the IW Observer and was credited accordingly. He also supplied images to other media outlets and IW organisations. He was never employed by or paid by the IW Observer.
“The police contacted us 3 years ago to establish the facts and made it clear the IW Observer had done nothing wrong and there was no issue with any contributed images and no restrictions on him taking photographs.
“We have heard nothing further from the police and were never approached for a statement or to give evidence.
“The IW Observer takes safeguarding seriously and will always co-operate fully with the police where any concerns are raised.”
Another too lenient sentence which should have been an immediate prison sentence for the scumbag.