Mukesh Bharti

A paedophile from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, has been sentenced to a significant prison term for a series of child sex offences uncovered during a police investigation. Mukesh Bharti, aged 46, of Overmead, Abingdon, appeared at Oxford Crown Court where he was handed a 10-year custodial sentence, with an additional four years on extended licence, following a unanimous guilty verdict by a jury after a nine-day trial.

The offences came to light when officers from Thames Valley Police were examining two of Bharti's mobile phones as part of an unrelated investigation. During this process, they discovered a substantial collection of category A, B, and C indecent images and videos depicting children. Further examination revealed extensive communications between Bharti and numerous individuals overseas, primarily in the Philippines and Thailand, dating from 1 May 2019 to 21 September 2023. These exchanges showed Bharti requesting and paying for indecent images and videos of children of various ages via platforms such as PayPal.

• Bharti was convicted on three counts of causing the sexual exploitation of a child.
• Three counts of inciting the sexual exploitation of a child.
• Six counts of making indecent photographs of children.
• One count of arranging the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.
• One count of possessing a prohibited image of a child.

Prosecutors detailed how Bharti not only acquired illicit material but actively directed the sexual abuse of boys and girls, aged between four and 16 years old, in the Philippines. He arranged live WhatsApp video calls where he instructed participants to carry out obscene acts against the children, which he recorded for his own use. Bharti, who described himself as a hospital 'research doctor', attempted to deflect blame during the trial, claiming a friend known as 'Vicky' or 'Vijay'—a Punjabi-speaking individual involved in drug dealing and blackmail—had planted the material and set him up. However, the jury rejected this defence, noting evidence such as Bharti's face appearing in screen recordings of the video calls.

Bharti was charged on 1 December 2023. The sentencing took place on 24 October 2024 at Oxford Crown Court. Investigating officer Detective Constable Sarah Osborne commented on the case: 'I am pleased Mukesh Bharti will spend a significant amount of time in prison for the offences he has been convicted for. He has never shown any remorse for his despicable actions, which would have had a profound and long-lasting effect on the young victims in this case. I hope this conviction shows police are committed to tackling serious sexual offences against children, despite where in the world the abuse is happening. We will continue to support victims and bring offenders before the courts to face justice.' This case underscores Thames Valley Police's dedication to pursuing child sex offenders, even when the abuse occurs internationally.