A paedophile police officer hid his face in shame as he walked free from court after a GCHQ probe found a sickening "boy scout" video on his computer.
PC Lee Ashcroft's laptop had to be sent off to experts at the Government's intelligence headquarters after he installed encryption software to hamper access, as well as applications to wipe the device clean of incriminating evidence. Even after investigators cracked the code and discovered the vile movie, the 39-year-old continued to plead his innocence and claimed that he had been the victim of an online fraud campaign.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Monday, that the then serving Greater Manchester Police officer's home on Brookside Drive in Hyde was raided on October 12, 2020. Neil Bisarya, prosecuting, described how a Dell laptop found underneath the bed in a back bedroom was seized, but encryption software installed on it meant officers were unable to access it and Ashcroft did not give the password.
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This saw the computer sent off to Government Communications Headquarters for analysis. This unearthed a seven minute 52 second video titled "!!!BoyScout.mpg", which showed a group of children aged between 10 and 13 "engaged in sexual activity".
Ashcroft, who worked in the force's transport unit but resigned from his role amid the investigation, had downloaded and viewed the clip - graded as being in category A, those showing the most serious forms of abuse - twice in quick succession on the morning of August 17, 2018. It was then deleted by "file shredding" software minutes later, but remained evident on a Zip file.
Another file entitled "12-year-old Swedish friends together" was discovered, but proved to be inaccessible. No other illegal materials were found.
Ashcroft had also installed VPN and peer-to peer-file sharing software on the laptop. Under interview at Huddersfield Police Station, he admitted accessing the dark web but claimed that this had been due to his interest in coding.
The pervert said he "may have inadvertently clicked a link showing indecent images", but he had never downloaded or viewed them. Ashcroft - who also served in the Territorial Army and is now working an IT job - also put forward a belief he had been the victim of an online fraud and that may have been how the sick video came to be.
He has no previous convictions. Oliver Jarvis, defending, said: "It has got to be accepted that this is someone who knowingly downloaded images of children, somebody who needs to be punished for that and accepts that.
"It is one image he is to be sentenced for. There is another side to this defendant.
"He has, in effect, thrown his life away but is rebuilding it with a very different kind of work. His family are standing by him - they know that there is a great deal of good in this man.
"The fact that there is no evidence of offending since 2018 is, in my submission, pivotal here. The defendant accepts he needs help."
Ashcroft admitted making indecent images shortly before he was due to stand trial. He began crying in the dock as he was handed a 10-month imprisonment suspended for two years.
Sentencing, Judge Gary Woodhall said the presence of the various software was "deeply suspicious" but added: "You are here to be sentenced for a single file. You are of previous positive good character, and references all have a common theme of you having devoted your life to helping others.
"You are someone, even now, who is struggling to fully accept that you knowingly downloaded that image. There are clearly issues that have to be addressed that have caused you to go looking for indecent images of young boys engaged in sexual activities.
"You continue to deny any sexual interest in children. You are struggling to accept that you have a problem, and you need to address it. You have shown genuine remorse and shame. You have come very close today to going to prison."
Ashcroft was also told to serve 120 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 30 days. He must also pay £1,500 in costs plus a victim surcharge, was handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and told to sign the sex offenders register for the same period.
Judge Woodhall ordered the forfeiture of the seized device. The disgraced copper emerged from court in a change of clothes with his hood up and a mask on, covering his face with his hands in shame as he left the building.
Martha Dowd, senior crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service North West, said following the sentencing: "By downloading and viewing the video, Lee Ashcroft - a serving police officer - betrayed his position of trust in the community in the most abhorrent way. His job was to uphold the law and protect the public.
"Today he has been held accountable for actions, which fell far short of upholding those responsibilities. The CPS and the police will continue to work together to robustly prosecute anyone who commits such offences, particularly those in positions of trust in our society."
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