Peter Watts

A former PE teacher and cricket coach from Sussex has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for his involvement in child pornography offences. Peter Watts, aged 37, of Upper Dicker near Hailsham, pleaded guilty to nine charges of distributing indecent images of children and 35 charges of making such images. The offences occurred between 19 October 2002 and 27 January 2004.

Lewes Crown Court heard that police raided Watts' home and seized his computer, on which they found more than 3,500 child pornography images. In addition to the charges he admitted, Watts asked for 3,541 similar offences to be taken into consideration, highlighting the extensive nature of his activities. Watts, who had taught at Bexhill College in the 1990s, was previously convicted of similar offences in 2001 but received a non-custodial sentence at that time.

During the sentencing, the court was told that Watts claimed his efforts to reform had faltered after he was featured in a BBC television documentary on paedophiles. However, Judge Charles Kemp dismissed this as no excuse for his crimes, stating that the exposure did not justify his continued illegal actions. In addition to the custodial sentence, Watts was banned for life from working with children and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years. The computer equipment seized from his home was also ordered to be destroyed.

This case underscores the ongoing efforts by authorities to combat the distribution and possession of child exploitation material online. Sussex Police, responsible for the investigation in the Southern Counties region, acted on intelligence leading to the raid. The sentencing reflects the seriousness with which the courts treat such offences, particularly given Watts' prior conviction and his background in education where he had access to young people.