Douglas Stanford

A 47-year-old man from Darwen, Lancashire, has been imprisoned after police discovered more than 1,800 indecent sexual images of children on his electronic devices. Douglas Stanford, residing on Church Terrace, was arrested following a police visit to his home on 20 February 2023, where three devices were seized. Analysis revealed a total of 1,804 images and videos, categorised as 798 category A (the most severe), 463 category B, and 543 category C.

Prosecutor Caitlin McLachlan at Preston Crown Court detailed how forensic examination of the devices uncovered disturbing search terms targeting images of children as young as seven years old. Additionally, Stanford had attempted to purchase a small sex doll for over £380. During police interviews, Stanford admitted to viewing the material but insisted it was 'out of curiosity rather than attraction' and claimed he had downloaded and deleted the images. He further alleged acquiring one of the phones from a local cash generator shop just five days prior, a claim disproved by the shop, which confirmed no such sale and that all devices are factory reset before resale.

Mitigating, Daniel Dewhurst explained that Stanford initially accessed the Tor browser for illegal downloads of music and films, which led him to pornography and eventually the indecent material out of curiosity. The court heard of Stanford's tragic personal history, including the loss of three young children and his wife, compounded by a drug addiction that impaired his decision-making. However, he had been drug-free for five months while on remand.

Recorder Kristian Cavanagh, in sentencing, condemned the 'particularly troubling' nature of Stanford's internet searches, emphasising the real victims behind the images: 'Behind those images, there is a real victim, a child being abused. Given the high volume of images, only immediate custody is appropriate.' Stanford was jailed for 22 months. The case was reported by the Lancashire Telegraph, with images provided by Lancashire Police.