Locations
Little Tew, Oxfordshire, OX7
Description
Clive Nightingale, 80, a former chairman of Little Tew’s parish council, was said to have looked at the sick material out of ‘curiosity’.
On Thursday (October 5), Oxford Crown Court heard that some of the children in the indecent images found on the West Oxfordshire man’s computer were estimated to be under one year old.
But the former schoolmaster was spared an immediate jail term by Judge Michael Gledhill KC, who cited Nightingale’s age and previous good character.
“My heart goes out to your wife in particular and, indeed, to the rest of your family. How thjey must have felt when the police arrived at your home and found these filthy images on your computer I can’t begin to imagine,” he said.
Judge Gledhill added: “What a way to end your career; in a dock of a crown court, having pleaded guilty to these appalling offences.
“I’m not going to lecture you anymore. I’m not going to send you immediately to prison, because of your age, you pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, your good character [and] the reference I have read.
“The message has got to go out that those who indulge themselves in this so-called addiction will be punished severely.”
He imposed 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years, with Nightingale ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work and up to 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Earlier, prosecutor Julian Lynch said police officers visited the defendant’s home with a warrant and seized his laptop.
Although he answered no comment when he was interviewed by the officers, analysis of the computer showed he had been looking at indecent images of children from 2015 until 2022.
There was evidence of 176 images and two videos in the worst category, including one involving a child estimated to be less than 12 months old. He had 270 files in category B and more than 560 in category C, the court heard.
Nightingale, of Little Tew, near Chipping Norton, pleaded guilty at the magistrates’ court to possession of indecent images of children. He had no previous convictions.
Mitigating, Richard Davies said his client felt a deep sense of shame and was remorseful for what he had done.
He realised that if it was not for ‘people like him’ the children would not be abused in order to create the images at which he was looking.
A former English teacher and head of department, Nightingale had volunteered for the National Trust and acted as chairman of Little Tew Parish Council.
“It’s shocking to see a man of that background in this particular position,” Mr Davies said.
Nightingale will be on the sex offender register for a decade and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.