Graham Baxter

Graham Baxter, a 60-year-old resident of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, was sentenced at Grimsby Crown Court for possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornographic content. The offences, which involved making three counts of indecent images and possessing one extreme pornographic image, occurred between 2016 and October 2024.

Police arrested Baxter on 31 October 2024 following intelligence about his internet searches. During the arrest, he admitted to officers, 'I'm a pervert. There's no doubt about it.' He directed police to the locations of the illicit material on his Samsung tablet, laptop, and phone, where they discovered scores of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, along with 250 videos of bestiality. Baxter claimed the bestiality images dated back to when he was 16 years old and insisted he had not accessed the dark web. He further stated, 'It is bad. But it could be worse. No one was raped,' and described his actions as mere curiosity, 'just like everyone else.'

Prosecutor Gabrielle Wilks outlined the severity of the findings during the hearing. In mitigation, Ross McQuillan-Johnson noted that Baxter had been of good character prior to these offences, had worked hard throughout his life, and maintained a stable home with his wife.

Judge Gurdial Singh condemned Baxter's behaviour as 'vile and disgusting,' rejecting his excuses and emphasising his role in fuelling the demand for child abuse material. The judge stated, 'If there is no one sat in front of a computer like you there is no market for it. These children are being abused because people like you create a demand.' He highlighted that Baxter's actions contributed to a 'disgusting trade in children,' and that the offending was far from victimless.

Baxter received a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, along with 20 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 150 hours of unpaid work. Additionally, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed, barring him from working with children under 18, and he was required to register as a sex offender for 10 years. The case was reported by Grimsby Live on 1 April 2026.