ROGER Spackman, who was a Labour Councillor for Exeter City Council During the time of his vile offences, worked in a children’s home and downloaded over one million horrific images of child abuse – including of 12-year-old girls being raped.
Worked at a secure children’s home, the monster collected the hoard of child pornography, yet was shockingly not handed a custodial sentence.
Exeter Crown Court heard that he was part of an underground internet network called The Other Place – an evil network of paedophiles using the web to share their abuse of children and millions of illegal material.
A police investigation in 2017 charged the two front runners with offences and other members were exposed.
But last year, Judge Peter Johnson only handed Spackman a ten month sentence, suspended for two years (meaning he will avoid jail time unless he breaks certain conditions) with 40 days rehab for possessing the images.
Spackman, of Exeter, Devon, was arrested and 68 electronic devices were found at his home and examined.
Judge Johnson said it was ‘an astonishing number’ of images which included the most serious category A images and others of category B and C.
The judge said he was of good character working hard in public service as a councillor in Exeter before his ‘fall from grace which has been dramatic’.
Attempting to excuse the repulsive criminal activity, Spackman’s barrister Barry White said: ‘He likes to pretend he is a young girl who will be abused. He will pretend to be a young girl.’
‘None of the images are of people who he knows. He has never sexually assaulted any children nor would he do so.
‘The images were sent to him by the other party in the fantasy which were indicative of what that person liked. He did not get to choose what images but he accepted them all.’
Prosecutor Thomas Faulkner said some of the worst images were found on two devices found in his bedroom.
He said: ‘Those images depicted pre-pubescent girls forced to take part in sexual activity.’
Now, local constituents have renewed their efforts to have the pathetically weak court ruling reviewed, with a campaign currently being organised to demand answers.
“There’s no doubt about it – paedophiles belong in prison” resident Vanessa Smart told VoteWatch. “The fact that myself and others, including older women like myself, are having to fight to have child abusers properly punished, is a complete joke”.
