Description
A paedophile former teacher once jailed for secretly filming children undressing has walked free from court after downloading and distributing indecent images.
Simon Whitfield, 58, had just been released from prison when a tip-off from Canadian authorities led police to his home in Highgate, Beverley, on October 19, 2017, Hull Crown Court heard.
Phillip Evans, prosecuting, said Whitfield was the only one living in the house, which was searched by police and resulted in the seizure of his Acer laptop.
Analysis showed he had downloaded six indecent photographs between September 17 and October 1, 2015, and had also used Skype to distribute two category C images on the latter date.
Child abuse 'chats'
Mr Evans said the offences were committed against "a background of conversations on what are called chat logs of a highly prurient nature involving the abuse of nine-year-old children".
He had appeared under the name Simon Knowles when he was jailed for four and a half years at York Crown Court on April 25, 2013 for similar offences, as well as 11 counts of voyeurism.
The voyeurism related to him filming children getting changed for PE at a school in West Yorkshire - using tiny spy cameras hidden in a pen and a shirt button. He accidentally caught his own face on camera.
He was on licence, and subject to a sexual offences prevention order indefinitely, at the time he committed his latest offences.
Charity support
Whitfield was supported at court by a member of the Christian Jacob's Well charity, who had written one of his references, his barrister Nigel Clive said. Whitfield worked four hours a week as a volunteer for the charity.
"This defendant is ashamed he is once again before the court," Mr Clive said.
"This defendant says he took a lot from the sexual offenders work he undertook in prison, but when he was released he found adjusting to being back in society with a label such as he did, difficult. He found himself in a dark place."
Since being caught, Whitfield had installed a programme on his computer which alerts The Lucy Faithfull Foundation of "suspicious" internet activity and the charity then alerts police, Mr Clive said.
Judge explains sentence
Sentencing Whitfield, Judge Simon Jack told him his latest crimes were "committed not long after you were released from serving a substantial prison sentence for similar offences.
"If you had been caught and dealt with at that point you could certainly have expected an immediate prison sentence.
"But I have to look at the overall picture, and the overall picture is that after going off the rails to some extent after your release from prison, you must have seen the error of your ways, and despite downloading indecent images, and in a couple of cases distributing them, you took steps to ensure you would not do it again, and there's no evidence to say you have done it again since the end of 2015.
"And for that reason it seems to me that I can avoid doing what would otherwise be inevitable in sending you straight back to prison."
Whitfield was sentenced to a two-year community order, which includes attendance on the Horizon programme and 20 days rehabilitation.
He was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely, replacing the previous order, and must already register as a sex offender for life.
Whitfield, who "has a pension", the court heard, was also ordered to pay the 500 costs of the prosecution. He offered to pay this immediately but was given 28 days.
The judge told him: "I hope this is the last time you are in court. You should be aware if there is any lapse on your part you will be back and the likelihood is you will go back to prison again."