Four out of five paedophiles caught with chilld porn escaped jail last year, Ministry of Justice figures reveal
- Total of 2,967 perverts caught with abuse images in 2018 but just 562 jailed
- 1,106 given suspended sentences and 596 given community punishments
- 382 let off with a caution, 25 handed fines and 28 given conditional discharge
- Sara Payne’s daughter Sarah was murdered in 2000 by paedophile Roy Whiting
Four in five paedophiles caught with obscene videos and images of children relating to children were spared prison last year.
A total of 2,967 sick perverts were convicted of having abuse images in 2018 but just 562 were sent to prison.
Instead, 1,106 paedophiles received suspended sentences, 596 were given community punishments, 25 handed fines, and 28 given a conditional discharge.
Four in five paedophiles caught with obscene videos and images of children relating to children were spared prison last year
Sara Payne, whose eight-year-old daughter Sarah was murdered in 2000 by paedophile Roy Whiting, branded the revelations ‘indefensible’.
The figures, which were revealed by The Sun, showed that a further 382 convicted perverts were let off with just a caution, which meant they did not even attend court.
The remaining 830 offenders were ‘otherwise dealt with’ by the Ministry of Justice.
Ms Payne told The Sun: ‘It’s an indefensible betrayal of our children.’
Sara Payne, whose eight-year-old daughter Sarah (right) was murdered in 2000 by paedophile Roy Whiting, branded the revelations ‘indefensible’
David Spencer of the Centre for Crime Prevention told said: ‘Everyone will rightly be horrified that the Ministry of Justice has decided to go soft on paedophiles in this way.
‘It is time for the MoJ to ensure everyone caught viewing child abuse images end up where they belong. In a prison.’
Last year, the then solicitor-general Robert Buckland, who is now justice secretary serving under Boris Johnson, said the internet was the ‘gateway’ for perverts to commit other offences.
Mark Bridger, who murdered five-year-old April Jones in 2012, was obsessed with abuse images. And Stuart Hazell, who was jailed in 2013 for the murder of Tia Sharp, 12, had searched online for images of abuse, his trial heard
He said downloading images and videos facilitated the ‘commission of other offences’.
Mark Bridger, who murdered five-year-old April Jones in 2012, was obsessed with abuse images.
And Stuart Hazell, who was jailed in 2013 for the murder of Tia Sharp, 12, had searched online for images of abuse, his trial heard.