Locations
Bearpark, County Durham, DH7
Description
A paedophile who sexually abused a teenage girl and had more than 15,000 indecent images of children and animals on his laptop has been jailed for more than a decade.
Police raided the home of registered sex offender Russell Duncan Frederick Weatherley in 2022, after receiving information he possessed indecent images of children.
Officers recovered a laptop with more than 15,000 indecent images and arrested the 62-year-old, of Bearpark, County Durham.
Detectives also found a folder on the device named after the victim, who Weatherley had preyed on decades earlier.
Weatherley had forced the girl to carry out sexual acts, often photographing or filming them.
The 62-year-old was charged with more than 30 offences and in court, pleaded not guilty to six counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl and five counts of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.
He went to trial and was found guilty of all the offences as well as changing his plea to guilty for a further 18 counts of making indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography with an animal.
He was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison at Teesside Crown Court on Friday (December 6).
Following the sentencing, DC Liam Padget, who led the investigation, said: “Weatherley is a monster in every sense of the word and that is how the victim described him so we hope this sentence allows her to finally start to heal from this ordeal.
“I would like to commend the victim and her family for their bravery and perseverance during the investigation.
“She has had to carry the burden of abuse for many years, and this sentence reflects society’s abhorrence of crimes such as this.
“Durham Constabulary will always investigate offences of this nature and place victims at the centre of everything we do. If you have been a victim of abuse, please reach out. We will believe you.”