August 2013
Paedophile jailed after filming children walking to Corby school
A paedophile who filmed children walking to and from their Corby primary school has been jailed for 14 months.
Stephen Conroy, 53, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Monday (August 12) for sentencing after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to possessing and making indecent photographs of children.
Conroy was also sentenced to one month in prison, to run concurrently, for possessing four cannabis plants.
He was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and an order was made for the indecent images to be destroyed.
After police raided Conroy’s house in February this year thousands of printed images, DVDs and videos of child abuse were discovered.
At the previous hearing the court was told that the indecent images were plastered over ceilings and walls of three bedrooms.
Officers also found children’s underwear and a schoolgirl’s outfit, Northampton Crown Court heard.
Conroy had a total of 3,028 images, 25 of which depicted extreme pornography.
Mark Nicholls, representing Conroy, told the court that the defendant was the full-time carer of his disabled mother.
Mr Nicholls said: “He was made redundant as a warehouse man and has been his mother’s unofficial carer for two years.
“He is a hoarder, as is evident from the paperwork and photographs found.
“He is ashamed of what he has done and the shame he has brought on his family and friends and he has expressed his remorse and regret. He accepts that he needs help.”
At the previous hearing the court was told that Conroy used a camcorder to film children going to and from the school.
Judge Lynn Tayton said: “You are a hoarder with an obsessive interest in sexual matters. This is a very serious matter.”
The earlier hearing was told that, when interviewed by police, Conroy said he had not realised he was doing anything illegal and that he had been searching for images of teenagers.
Conroy told officers he had started looking at child abuse images in 2006 and later searched for “school uniform porn”
July 2013
Paedophile set up ‘masturbation station’ at his home near Northamptonshire primary school
A paedophile is awaiting sentencing after a court heard he had filmed young pupils as they walked to and from a Northamptonshire primary school.
Stephen Conroy, aged 53, was found to possess thousands of printed images, DVDs and videos of child abuse images after police raided his house in February this year.
As well as finding the indecent images, which was plastered all over ceilings and walls of three bedrooms, officers also found children’s underwear and a schoolgirl’s outfit, Northampton Crown Court heard today.
Alex Bull, prosecuting, said Conroy had filmed children coming to and from school using a camcorder.
Ms Bull said: “The defendant’s house was in close proximity to a school which can be seen from an upstairs window and the sound of children can be heard from the house.
“Children also regularly walk past the address to get to school.
“There was a home-made masturbation device by a window which had a view of the street. In regards to the masturbation station, he admitted that is what he used it for,” she added.
Conroy, who lives in Corby, was found to possess more than 30 of the most serious Level 5 child abuse images involving children as young as one-year-old.
After being interviewed by police, Conroy said he had initially not realised he was doing anything illegal and had been searching for images of teenagers.
Alex Bull said: “Conroy told officers he thought the children in the images were innocent and beautiful and works of art but probably did not understand what was going on.
“He said he liked children and thought of himself as childlike.”
Conroy told officers he had started looking at child abuse images in 2006 and later searched for “school uniform porn”.
Conroy has pleaded guilty to a series of charges of possessing and making indecent photographs of children as well as possessing extreme pornography.
The sentencing of Conroy has been adjourned for a short period due to the unavailability of certain evidence.
