In 2020, the Offender Database recorded that then 57-year-old David Aston—of Braithwaite Road, Bolton, Greater Manchester—was jailed for amassing a “huge” and “filthy” collection of child sexual abuse material. The investigation established that Aston’s address was raided by officers in February 2018, uncovering four laptops and an external hard drive. These devices contained thousands of images and videos which the father-of-four had been downloading over a decade-long period between 2005 and 2016.
The investigation established that Aston adopted the “vile” username ‘Wicked Dad’ while trawling the web for material. The prosecution reported that Aston confessed to officers that he was specifically aroused by images of mothers abusing their children, using search terms such as “paedo mum.” Evidence showed that the majority of the children featured in his stash were aged between just four and nine years old. Aston even joked in an online forum with another predator, asking: “You know we could get put in prison for this?”
Judicial Findings and Digital Forensic Detail
The court reported that Aston pleaded guilty to possessing 1,403 Category A images—the most serious classification—alongside 1,404 at Category B and 2,756 at Category C. The investigation established that he also admitted to sharing images and possessing extreme pornography. The prosecution reported that Recorder Jeremy Lasker dismissed any claim that this was an “error of judgement,” stating that without people like Aston, the “filthy trade” of abusing children would not exist.
Judge-led proceedings at Bolton Crown Court concluded with Aston being sentenced to 16 months in prison. For his actions in Bolton and the nature of the “stomach-churning” collection reported, he was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a decade. The judge noted that Aston must also comply with a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to ensure his future digital activity is strictly monitored by the authorities to prevent any further engagement in the exploitation of children.
Status and Statutory Requirements
Based on the judicial orders issued at Bolton Crown Court in 2020:
- Custodial Status: SERVING (Sentenced to 16 months in 2020; currently subject to post-release supervision).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active until 2030.
- SHPO Status: Active until 2030 (Includes strict prohibitions on possessing undisclosed hardware and mandatory digital forensic monitoring).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children or vulnerable adults; permanently barred from all regulated activity).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Possession of Category A indecent images x1,403; Category B x1,404; Category C x2,756; Sharing Category C images; Possession of extreme pornography).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Bolton Crown Court; investigated by Greater Manchester Police.
- Criminal Record: Downloaded over 5,500 abuse images over 11 years; Used the handle ‘Wicked Dad’; Specifically targeted ‘mother and daughter’ abuse material; Joked about being imprisoned.
- Origin: Braithwaite Road, Bolton, Greater Manchester.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Aston is managed as a high-risk registered sex offender under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Greater Manchester. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his “long-term dedication to amassing and sharing the most serious categories of child abuse material”—he is a priority for digital oversight. Authorities reported that the 2020 conviction ensures Aston’s internet use in Bolton or elsewhere is subject to forensic scrutiny to prevent him from contributing to the “filthy trade” he admitted to enjoying.
As a registered sex offender, his details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that Aston’s history identifies him as an individual who prioritised his own “deviant” arousal over the safety of children as young as four. Any failure by Aston to notify police of his movements, any attempt to bypass his SHPO, or any unauthorised proximity to children will result in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who “trampled all over the principles of human decency.”
QUESTION – Given that the offender admitted to being “aroused” by images of mothers abusing their children, do you believe that “Targeting Familial Abuse Material” should legally carry an automatic 5-year sentence enhancement to reflect the extra layer of betrayal involved in the images?
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