In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Jason Barnes, then 29, of Nicholas Parc, Penzance, Cornwall, was sentenced to prison after confessing to police that he had been “at it again.” On Friday, 29 March 2019, Barnes appeared at Truro Crown Court, where his previously suspended sentence was activated following a series of new child abuse image offences.
The investigation established that Barnes was originally handed a suspended sentence in October 2016 for making indecent images of children. However, in August 2017, Devon and Cornwall Police attended his home and seized a laptop and phone containing over 500 indecent photographs, including Category A material. Upon the seizure, Barnes admitted his guilt immediately. A further search in August 2018 uncovered another phone with 20 images, three of which he had distributed. Search terms found on his devices included “teen 12-18” and “hot boy 14.”
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported a significant failure by the Probation Service, which did not provide Barnes with a rehabilitation appointment for over a year after his 2016 sentence. Judge Robert Linford expressed serious concern, stating it was “not acceptable” and demanding a written explanation. However, the judge noted that while the lack of support was a factor, Barnes was well aware that his actions were “seriously wrong” and had distributed illegal videos despite the deterrent of a suspended sentence.
The judge noted that the videos Barnes distributed were of a nature that was entirely illegal to possess or share. For his actions in Penzance, Cornwall, the court determined that the only appropriate response to his persistent reoffending was immediate custody. The prosecution noted that the defendant’s early guilty plea and recent steps to address what his defence described as an “addiction” were taken into account during the final sentencing.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Jason Barnes was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 18 months in prison (comprising the activated suspended sentence and new charges).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are in effect for life.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Truro Crown Court following multiple breaches of a previous court order.
- Convictions: Possession, distribution, and making of indecent images of children.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Barnes is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Devon and Cornwall Police and the prison estate. Due to the nature of the repeated downloading and distribution of images in Penzance, Cornwall, his management is subject to oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Barnes must comply with notification requirements regarding his residence in Nicholas Parc, Penzance, Cornwall, for the rest of his life. Authorities state that his risk management will focus on his digital activity and internet use, given his history of bypassing previous court restrictions. Any breach of his registration conditions or future licence terms upon release will result in immediate arrest and a return to Truro Crown Court.
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