In 2019, the Offender Database reported that Barry Edward Harman, then 51, of Church Street, Paedophile, Paignton, Devon, was facing a Crown Court sentencing after being caught with a collection of indecent material. Harman admitted to possessing dozens of images and movies of child sexual abuse, including Category A material—the most severe classification, which often depicts the rape or torture of children.
The investigation by Devon and Cornwall Police uncovered the material during a forensic review of devices used between 15 January and 22 January 2017. The court reported that Harman was in possession of 49 Category A still and moving images, 70 Category B images, and 40 Category C images. He also admitted to possessing a prohibited image of a child, representing a significant breach of child protection laws.
Following his guilty pleas at the magistrates’ court, Harman was committed to Exeter Crown Court for sentencing on 3 April 2019. The prosecution emphasised the gravity of the Category A material, noting that such images involve extreme forms of abuse against minors. The judge reported that a custodial sentence was a strong possibility given the nature and volume of the prohibited material discovered.
As a result of his convictions for possessing indecent photographs of children, Barry Edward Harman was required to sign the Sex Offenders Register. He is managed under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Devon and Cornwall Police, ensuring his digital behaviour and internet access in Paignton and the wider Torbay area are strictly monitored. Any future attempt to access such material will result in immediate arrest and further legal consequences.
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