Pervert Derbyshire doctor jailed for downloading and sharing hundreds of child porn images

Dr Alexander Shaw appeared before Derby Crown Court on Tuesday, December 22, after previously pleading guilty to ten counts relating to downloading and distributing more than 500 indecent images of young people.

Prosecuting, Jonathan Dunne told the court that, of the images found on Shaw’s laptop and two mobile phones, 118 were Category A images, the most extreme kind, 174 were Category B and 255 were Category C.

He said that police had raided the home of Shaw’s partner, where the electronic items had been seized in July 2018. A further mobile phone was also seized but police forensic experts were unable to unlock it.

He said: “He was interviewed on two occasions and on the first he accepted using the internet to look at pornography but said he had not knowingly downloaded illegal images, and on the second occasion, when confronted with the evidence he responded no comment to all the questions.”

Mr Dunne told the court that Shaw, 28, of Lockton Avenue, Heanor, had shared videos on WhatsApp, but the Crown had not been able to establish how many people he had shared them with.

Shaw had also had sexual conversations with males who he believed to be 15 years of age, the court heard.

Mitigating, William Bennett described Shaw as highly intelligent and said he had made significant steps towards his own rehabilitation since the images were unearthed.

He told the court: “Right thinking people will see what he did over a long period of time as absolutely abhorrent but he was in total denial of what he was doing. In relation to the pornography he had developed what can only be described as an addiction which drew him deeper and deeper into the internet. He is a man who had totally lost his grip on reality because of the pornography.

"He could have been more honest with police about what he did but it is not at all usual for someone to be in complete denial.”

“He could have continued to live in denial, but he had a good look in the mirror and was horrified with what he found. His partner is absolutely horrified with what he had done. He has taken steps to recognise that he has a problem and has taken steps to sort himself out. He is making all the right noises.”

Sentencing Shaw to two-and-a-half years in prison, Recorder Mark Watson told him he had to balance his own rehabilitation with protecting the public.

“You were conversing in a sexual way with someone about child abuse and it hasn’t been possible to see how many more people received these images, but once they’ve been distributed once, they can be shared time and time again.

“You admitted that you found the images attractive and this is not a victimless crime.”

He also made a sexual harm prevention order which will prohibit Shaw from using any device which allows him access to the internet for an indefinite period.

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