Crosby Man Jailed After Investigation Uncovers Thousands of Indecent Images

A 66-year-old man from Crosby has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison after police uncovered thousands of indecent images of children during an investigation which began 160 miles away.

David Farrington, of Grasmere Gardens, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting multiple offences relating to indecent images of children and extreme pornography.

The court heard that in August 2023, Durham Police’s Public Protection Unit examined the mobile phone of a high-risk registered sex offender. During that investigation, officers identified conversations between that offender and Farrington on the messaging application Kik.

The messages, exchanged between 27 November and 2 December 2022, involved discussions about the sexual abuse of children. During the exchanges, Farrington sent a non-indecent image of a child and later sent three indecent images, including material involving very young children.

The information was passed to Merseyside Police, who executed a warrant at Farrington’s home on 5 August 2023. Six electronic devices were seized and examined.

Officers discovered that over a five-year period Farrington had downloaded and stored:

• 194 Category A images and videos (the most serious category), including 45 videos

• 156 Category B images and videos

• 1,061 Category C images

• 43 prohibited images of children

• 3,201 extreme pornographic images involving sexual activity with animals

In total, more than 2,000 indecent images and videos of children were identified across the devices.

The court also heard that Farrington had sent eight indecent images to a second Kik user between 29 June and 8 August 2023. In addition, he had taken 63 Category C images of a primary school-aged girl using his mobile phone.

Farrington admitted taking indecent images of children, five counts of distributing indecent images, possession of indecent images, three counts of making indecent images and possession of extreme pornographic images.

Sentencing, Recorder Mark Cooper described the contents of the devices as “disgraceful and disturbing,” noting the age and vulnerability of the children depicted and the lengthy period over which the material had been collected.

Although Farrington had no previous convictions, the judge highlighted the seriousness of the offences and the fact that images shared online can continue to circulate globally.

The court heard that Farrington had engaged with rehabilitation programmes, including a 10-week course with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, attendance at Sex Addicts Anonymous and therapy sessions.

In addition to the custodial sentence, Farrington was made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.