In February 2019, the Offender Database reported that Symon Bain, then 54, of Blagrove Close, Hartcliffe, Bristol, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison at Bristol Crown Court. Bain, a prolific repeat offender with 42 previous sexual offences on his record, was convicted of continuing to seek out “filthy and revolting” child abuse material despite being under a strict court order and receiving professional counselling.
The court heard that Bain had been handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in 2015, which explicitly banned him from downloading child abuse images or using specific illicit search terms. Despite this, a 2016 police investigation linked him to thousands of new photos, including 1,008 classified as Category A—the most severe level of child exploitation material. Even after being caught and bailed, Bain obtained new computer equipment and was found in 2017 with 51 further images. During police interviews, Bain admitted his addiction, claiming that while counselling had reduced his activities, it had failed to eradicate them.
During the sentencing hearing on February 13, 2019, Judge James Patrick described Bain’s search history as “revolting” and highlighted his “severe addiction” to the exploitation of children. The prosecution emphasised that Bain’s criminal record, which included the distribution of child abuse images, demonstrated a persistent and high-level risk to the public. The judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of all his computer equipment to prevent further access to illicit material.
Symon Bain was sentenced to four-and-a-half years’ imprisonment for six counts of making indecent photographs of children and two counts of breaching his SHPO. The judge noted that the custodial sentence was necessary to protect the community and reflect the gravity of his continued defiance of court orders.
As a result of his extensive history of sexual offending, Bain is a registered sex offender for life. He is managed under the highest level of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Bristol. This involves permanent, intensive monitoring by Avon and Somerset Police and the National Probation Service, including unannounced visits and forensic checks on any internet-enabled devices he may possess upon release.
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