A depraved primary school worker caught with thousands of indecent images and a “paedophile manual” aimed at encouraging children to engage in abuse has been jailed.
George Ross was told by a judge the sickening document demonstrated his “deep and profound” interest in “child pornography and child sexual activity” – something the 26-year-old himself continues to deny.
Maidstone Crown Court heard he was employed to care for youngsters in breakfast and after school clubs when the shocking discovery was made by following a police raid at his then home in Chatham, in February last year.
As well as the child abuse guide, titled The Secret Guide To Sex and saved as a PDF on one of his devices, his phones and computers were found to contain almost 9,000 illicit images, with more than 1,000 in video format.
Some of the material not only depicted children younger than 10 being abused but also signs of them suffering “pain and distress” from their ordeals.
It was also discovered that Ross had shared three images of uniform-clad youngsters with others in chatrooms, and was in possession of stills and videos showing people having sex with animals such as chickens and dogs.
He later pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent images of children, three of distributing indecent images of children, one of possessing prohibited images of children, one of possessing extreme pornography and one of possessing a paedophile manual.
At his sentencing hearing on Monday (August 18), the court was told the images were categorised by police as being in categories A, B and C – all three levels of seriousness.
In total, officers found 8,661 indecent images of children comprising 7,577 stills and 1,084 videos, 270 prohibited images consisting of 267 stills and three videos, and eight extreme pornographic images made up of three stills and five videos.
The images he shared with others were classed as category C.
The court heard there was no evidence that he had ever tried to sexually assault any youngster in his care or had encouraged others in chatroom conversations to target them.
His lawyer, Dale Beeson, had urged that a community-based sentence be imposed so that Ross could be provided with help from probation which would address the offending behaviour “from its root”.
Mr Beeson added his client had his own “particular vulnerabilities” and, although there was “still a reluctance to acknowledge his behaviour”, had shown genuine remorse.
I have been caused considerable concern by your possession of the paedophile manual and your sharing of images of children at the time
But the judge, Recorder Edmund Burge KC, disagreed that any term of imprisonment could be suspended.
Jailing Ross for a total of two years and 10 months, he said: “I have no doubt that the combination of these offences to which you have pleaded guilty means the custody threshold is passed and, I’m afraid, I don’t take the view that a sentence of a community order is appropriate in your case.”
But on the question of whether Ross, now of Beaconsfield Road, Chatham, was a “dangerous” offender in a legal sense who posed a “significant” risk to children, Recorder Burge said he was just persuaded otherwise.
“I have been caused considerable concern by your possession of the paedophile manual and your sharing of images of children at the time,” he told the defendant.
“However, against that I weigh the fact there is no evidence put before me at least that you have ever tried to sexually assault any child in your care or encouraged others in your chatrooms to approach children in your care.
“Therefore, I have just about reached the conclusion that you are not a significant risk of causing serious harm to children.
“I have given anxious thought to that but I’m ultimately not quite persuaded you satisfy the test for an extended sentence on the grounds of being dangerous.”
On his release, Ross will be subject to sex offender notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.
