A disgraced ex-Household Cavalry soldier is starting a two-year prison sentence after police caught him with 6,769 pornographic images of young girls.
Married father-of-two Michael Watlow, 48, led a double-life - sharing the explicit hardcore material with an Internet ring then visiting his family in Brecon, Powys, Wales at weekends.
The first-time offender stayed with in-laws in Smith Street, Rotherhithe, when working at a private security company in London.
He pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to nine counts of possessing indecent images and four counts of distributing indecent images by email.
“They are shocking activities involving young children being sexually abused, penetrated orally and anally,” Judge John Price told balding Watlow.
“Some of these girls are in tears when they are filmed,” added the Judge. “Without the demand there would not be the abuse of the children and you are part of the demand and you have two girls that adore you.
“You have worked hard and you have looked after your family, but when in London you locked yourself in your room and looked at this disgusting material.”
Watlow, who has an exemplary discharge from the Household Cavalry – the Queen’s personal bodyguard – gave himself the username ‘Little Girls Lover’ when signing-up for the file-sharing service.
The worldwide site was probed by the Metropolitan Police’s Paedophile Unit and led to them to Watlow’s South-East London address, where he was arrested in May, last year.
Prosecutor Mr. Martin Whitehouse told the court half of the images were at the lowest level of indecency, but there were hundreds more moving up the scale and 133 at the most explicit.
“He was leading two different lives,” said Mr. Alex Taylor-Camara, defending. “He was working in London for a security company and at the weekend went back to Wales.”
The images were accessed in London because the family home is isolated with no Internet connection.
Watlow’s youngest daughter is still at school studying for ‘A’ levels.
“Without his income his family will be unable to maintain the mortgage and their lifestyle in Wales,” added Mr. Taylor-Camara. “The whole experience has been difficult for them and they are aware of the offences.”
Since his arrest Watlow has sought counseling for his compulsion and describes the images as “repugnant.”
The charges carry a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment.
“Of all the offences that I have to deal with this type is the one I do not understand,” announced Judge Price. “I do not understand how men are excited to the point of masturbation while looking at indecent images of children.”
No comments:
Post a Comment