Chesterfield man jailed over “abhorrent sexual abuse and exploitation” of child

Messages sent between a convicted paedophile and Timothy Peach, relating to the sexual abuse and exploitation of a child, were uncovered by Merseyside Police in 2022.

The pair had met via an online dating site in 2021 and began sending messages between their personal phones, which included indecent images of a child and conversations about the sexual exploitation of a child.

The case was referred to Derbyshire Police and officers arrested the 63-year-old Peach and conducted a search of his home, in Hardwick Lane, Ashover, where they seized a number of electronic devices.

Following examination, indecent images of a child were recovered from two of the devices, as well as sexually explicit chats about the exploitation and abuse of a child.

Peach was summonsed to appear at Chesterfield Magistrates court, where he admitted two counts of making indecent images of a child aged 6-9, and one count of facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under 13. He was later handed a jail term of two years and eight months at Liverpool Crown Court.

PC Samantha Bramley, officer in the case, said: “This case illustrates how good police work goes beyond geographical borders, and traditional methods, to ensure that the most dangerous and serious crimes are detected.

“Peach played a part in the abhorrent sexual abuse and exploitation of an innocent child, and I would like to thank both Merseyside Police who originally detected and referred the case to us and the Digital Forensics unit within Derbyshire Constabulary who painstakingly examined and extracted data from Peach’s devices to recover the evidence that led to his conviction.

“We are absolutely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation and will ensure we go to great lengths to detect and prosecute those who seek to harm children.

“If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse or exploitation, or know of a child at risk, please report this to us. We treat all such reports extremely seriously and any information you provide will be handled sensitively.”