Paedophile computer engineer Daniel Dowdon downloaded thousands of sick images with work laptop
by Paul Hooper
Devious Daniel Dowdon kept a vile secret from the Kent data
company that had offered him a computer engineering job.
The Ash dad-of-four was asked in his job application to reveal
any previous convictions... and he declared one for a public order
offence.
But the 46-year-old was in fact a convicted child sex
offender, who had served a jail sentence for trying to recruit a
12-year-old girl over the internet.
And a judge heard the company that offered him the
post - Ramsgate-based Coastal Data Systems - also carried
out work at schools.
Divorced Dowdon, of The Street, was later promoted and given a
company laptop to carry out his duties, Canterbury Crown Court
heard.
Instead, the pervert used the computer to access more disgusting
sex images of children – some of children as young as two.
The paedophile's secret vice was only discovered when a company
IT specialist accessed the laptop remotely – and came across the
sick stash of more than 7,500 images, up to the worst level
five.
Now Dowdon - who admitted nine offences of downloading
and distributing illegal images, possessing extreme pornographic
images, breaching the SOPO and fraud - has been given a two-year
jail sentence, suspended for two years.
Prosecutor Jim Harvey revealed how in 2009 Dowdon had been
convicted of downloading and distributing illegal images of
children – again using work computers.
He was made subject to an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention
Order, which banned him from using equipment to access the internet
other than for work.
"Most right-minded people will find it hard to understand why the father of four children could possibly enjoy looking at images of the abuse of children..." – Recorder Bobbie Cheema QC
Mr Harvey said five years ago Dowdon had worked for European
Interior Technologies, based in Dartford, when computer engineers
had discovered images on his computer – most of the victims aged
between five and 12.
"That coincided with a covert internet police investigation
where Dowdon said in a chatroom that he wanted to meet and abuse a
12-year-old female."
Mr Harvey said despite being questioned by police, he went
on to download even more images and was jailed for seven
months.
After his release, Dowdon moved to Ash and in July 2009 he
successfully applied for a job as a data engineer with Coastal Data
Systems.
"His application form disclosed a fictional conviction in April
2008 for an offence of disorderly conduct – but he failed to
disclose his convictions for possessing and distributing illegal
child images," Mr Harvey said.
He added: "The company's managing director made it quite
clear that had those convictions been disclosed he would never have
been employed by them because part of that company's work involved
attending schools where they would be conducting work on data and
computer systems without any supervision."
He said there was no evidence Dowdon had actually gone to any
schools, but in April last year he was promoted and given a
laptop.
But after the IT support specialist discovered the images, the
managing director reported Dowdon's activities to
police.
Daniel Dowdon was
sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court
He was arrested and admitted he had been accessing internet
chatrooms to get and offer images for 14 months.
Phil Rowley, defending, said that - unlike the 2009 case -
Dowdon now accepted he had an attraction to young children and
had sought help.
"He accepts that this behaviour is abhorrent and the court's
primary responsibility is to punish him for that."
The judge, Recorder Bobbie Cheema QC, said he had taken "little
time" from receiving the office laptop on his promotion to
returning to downloading disgusting images.
"Most right-minded people will find it hard to understand why
the father of four children could possibly enjoy looking at images
of the abuse of children, which you have habitually admitted
looking at."
During a two year-supervision order, Downdon will also
have to undergo treatment for his child sex addiction.
26/02/13
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