Darlington pervert locked up for sharing indecent image

Kevin Clark was arrested by officers when they turned up at his Darlington workplace before finding a number of disturbing images on his mobile phone.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 63-year-old had never been in trouble with the law until he was arrested for downloading child sex abuse images.

Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said Clark shared a number of sexual messages with the teenager on the Kik social media platform despite her telling him that she was only 14.

She said: “The defendant told her she was in a group where people liked sexual things with animals and she was too young to see that.

“He said he was excited to see what would get posted and asked her if she wanted to see what was posted.”

Miss Atkinson said Clark sent several sexually inappropriate messages and he offered to send her a picture of himself carrying out a sex act.

The court heard how Clark, who was of previous good character, used the name of John Smythe in an attempt to mask his online identity.

The police were unable to identify the teenage girl to confirm she was really 14 or whether it was a decoy posing as a child, the judge heard.

Kevin Clark (Image: Durham Constabulary)

Clark, of Wales Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to distribution of an indecent image; attempt to cause a child to watch sexual activity; attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child; possession of child abuse images in category A, B and C; and possession of extreme pornography.

Nigel Soppitt, mitigating, said his client’s life had spiralled out of control following a number of deaths in his family.

He said Clark had been a positive and productive member of society until he started offending two years ago.

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Recorder Paul Reid dismissed the defendant’s claim that he had been impacted by family bereavement to commit the offences.

He said: “At 63, most people will have suffered bereavements and traumas of one sort or another but don’t resort to this sort of utterly disgusting, reprehensible behaviour.”

Sentencing Clark to 32 months in prison, he added: “If she was a real person, then heaven only knows what effect this exchange with a man has on a child of that age. We can only surmise the damage caused to the mind of a young person.”

Clark was issued with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and was told to sign on the sex offenders’ register for ten years.