Dunstable sex offender serving a suspended sentence for child porn is jailed after downloading more 'vile' images

A registered sex offender who downloaded “vile” indecent images of very young children has been sentenced to three years in custody.

Michael Johnson, 73, of Park Street, Dunstable, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children and six counts of breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Johnson was previously registered as a sex offender and had been handed a suspended jail sentence of two years for offences linked to indecent images of children.

He was also given a SHPO which prevented him from owning any devices without them being registered, and downloading file sharing software.

Deborah Simpson from Bedfordshire Police’s offender management team was carrying out a routine visit in November 2021 when she became suspicious of software downloaded onto Johnson’s computer.

The computer was seized, and when searching the device, officers discovered indecent images of children, which were almost identical to those previously found in Johnson’s possession.

In March 2022, further enforcement was carried out by Bedfordshire Police’s cyber teams, where they were joined by a specialist digital media dog for the search. A further 12 unregistered devices were discovered and seized from Johnson, which resulted in a further charge of breaching his SHPO.

He was sentenced yesterday (Thursday, August 25) at Luton Crown Court to three years in prison, and his previous suspended sentence was activated. He will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Investigation Officer Deborah Simpson, who led the Bedfordshire Police investigation, said: “Johnson experienced sexual pleasure accessing images of the most vile nature involving very young children.

“He has shown no remorse for his actions, as he has continued to repeat his behaviour and ignore the prevention plan put in place.

“These kinds of people have no place in civilised society, and I am glad that he is off the streets and no longer poses a risk to children.

“We understand that these types of cases can cause concern for a lot of people, especially parents and carers, and at Bedfordshire Police we have dedicated teams tackling these horrific crimes.

“There are a number of prevention tools in place such as the sex offenders register and SHPOs, and all of these allowed us in the offender management department to monitor Johnson’s behaviour and ensure he did not pose a further risk.

“If you are worried about anyone’s behaviour, or if someone seem suspicious, please report it through our channels, or anonymously through Crimestoppers.”

Reports of abuse, even if non-recent, can be made to the police online or by calling 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.

If you have been affected by crime, the Bedfordshire Victim Care Services offers free and confidential support to victims in Bedfordshire, whether it has been reported to police or not, and irrespective of where and when the crime occurred.

Contact 0800 0282887 or visit bedfordshirevcs.com for further information.