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Buckingham Palace worker jailed for having more than 15,000 child sex abuse pictures

Some of the victims in his collection of indecent images and videos appeared to be as young as 18 months old

Wednesday 06 June 2018 08:24 BST

Tony Aslett has been jailed for nine months after downloading more than 15,000 child abuse images (PA)

A Buckingham Palace tourist worker had more than 15,000 child sex abuse pictures and videos – including some as young as 18 months old.

Tony Aslett, 52, was arrested at the Palace on April 27, 2015, where he worked as a visitor services warden.

His job, since February that year, was to help over 400,000 visitors to the State Rooms, Picture Gallery and Gardens.

He was suspended and then sacked and bosses at the Royal Collection Trust cooperated fully with National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators.

The NCA stressed there was no evidence linking his crimes to his place of work.

The vast stash of images were found on two laptops, three USB storage devices and a computer tower.

Some of the victims in Aslett's collection of 15,116 indecent images and videos appeared to be as young as 18 months old.

After seizing the computer equipment, officers conducted another search and discovered he had bought a white Acer tablet which also contained abuse images.

Analysis showed the indecent images were created between 2009 and 2015 while Aslett’s ex-partner told investigators he spent a lot of evenings alone in his bedroom.

Chichester clergy child abuse

Show all 12

1/12Chichester clergy child abuse

Chichester clergy child abuse

Reverend Gordon Rideout

Reverend Gordon Rideout was convicted of 34 counts of indecent assault and two counts of attempted rape against a total of 16 victims from May 2013. He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. He also pleaded guilty in December 2016 to a further count of indecent assault against someone under the age of 16 and was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment.

PA

Chichester clergy child abuse

Reverend Pritchard

Reverend Pritchard pleaded guilty in 2008 to seven counts of sexual assault against two boys and was jailed for five years.

BBC

Chichester clergy child abuse

Reverend Robert Coles

Reverend Robert Coles pleaded guilty to counts of indecent assault and two of attempted buggery and was sentenced in February 2013 to eight years’ imprisonment.

Chichester clergy child abuse

Reverend Jonathan Graves

Reverend Jonathan Graves was convicted in 2017 of 12 offences, including indecent assault and cruelty to a child, and was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment.

Chichester clergy child abuse

Reverend Keith Denford

Reverend Keith Denford was convicted of three counts of indecent assault in April 2013 and sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.

Chichester clergy child abuse

Michael Mytton

Church organist Michael Mytton arrives at Hove Crown Court in East Sussex to face charges of indecently assaulting boys under 16 dating back to the 1980s.

PA

Chichester clergy child abuse

Reverend Christopher Howarth

Reverend Christopher Howarth was convicted of 26 counts of sexual activity with a child and causing a child to engage in sexual activity and received 16 years’ imprisonment in total.

Chichester clergy child abuse

Deacon Peter Pannett

Peter Pannett was a deacon in the Brighton area. He pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children, one count of attempting incitement of a child to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act. He was sentenced to 32 months of imprisonment.

Chichester clergy child abuse

Bishop Peter Ball

Peter Ball was the Bishop of Lewes between 1977 and 1992 (later Bishop of Gloucester). In September 2015, Bishop Ball pleaded guilty to counts of misconduct in public office concerning sexual activity with young adults and two counts of indecent assaults against adults. He was sentenced to 32 months’ imprisonment. The Reverend Vickery House was a vicar within East Sussex and a close associate of Peter Ball. He was convicted of five counts of indecent assault and was sentenced to six-and-a-half years’ imprisonment in October 2015.

PA

Chichester clergy child abuse

Reverend Vickery House

The Reverend Vickery House was a vicar within East Sussex and a close associate of Peter Ball. He was convicted of five counts of indecent assault and was sentenced to six-and-a-half years’ imprisonment in October 2015.

PA

Chichester clergy child abuse

Michael Walsh

Michael Walsh, involved with Chichester Cathedral and the Prebendal School(which educates the choristers who sing in the cathedral and has boarding facilities.) In 1990, Michael Walsh, who was a teacher at a state-run Anglican secondary school and was head of music at an Anglican church in Chichester, was also involved heavily with music in the Chichester area. He was convicted, in 1990, of having unlawful sexual intercourse with teenage girls who were pupils at his school and some of them may also have been involved with Chichester Cathedral as well. It is not clear. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment.

Chichester clergy child abuse

Terence Banks

Terence Banks and the associated offending of Michael Walsh and David Bowring. Terence Banks was the steward of Chichester Cathedral. He was convicted in May 2001 and sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment for 32 sexual offences against 12 boys.

Aslett, of Pagham, Sussex, was charged in December 2015 but the hearing was delayed until this month as he repeatedly argued he was unfit to stand trial because he was too ill.

In interviews, Aslett refused to answer questions.

At Kingston Crown Court on Monday he pleaded guilty to seven counts of making indecent images of children and was jailed for nine months.

Mark McCormack, NCA branch commander, said: “Aslett repeatedly claimed he was too ill to stand trial.

“He owned all the devices that contained the depraved images and had amassed his collection over several years.

“People like Aslett are directly responsible for perpetuating the physical abuse of defenceless children by viewing and copying the images and videos.”

Aslett was also given a sexual harm prevention order and his computer equipment will be destroyed

SWNS

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