Paedophile Subject to Strict Monitoring After Court Uproar

A paedophile who sparked outrage when he was allowed to walk free due to perceived police blunders has been placed under stringent monitoring by the authorities. David Berry, a child pornography offender, was issued a court order today that will restrict his activities and subject him to ongoing oversight.

Judge Michael Taylor had initially stirred controversy in September by sparing 61-year-old Berry imprisonment, despite stating, "This man fully deserves to go to prison." He blamed Cleveland Police for delays in bringing the case to court and for an officer's tardiness in presenting indecent images of children as evidence.

The judge had initially declined to impose a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) on Berry, deeming the proposed terms "incomprehensible." However, today, a revised SOPO was presented to the court and Judge Taylor imposed it, declaring, "It will apply for the rest of your life."

The order prohibits Berry from unsupervised contact with minors and necessitates the installation of anti-forensic software on his computer. Additionally, police risk management officers will be granted access to his Hartlepool residence and will be authorized to examine the contents of his computer.

In September, Berry received a community order after admitting to 16 counts of making indecent images of children and possessing over 500 others. Police uncovered these images and videos on six separate storage devices during a raid at his home in Lowthian Road, Hartlepool, in July 2007.

Berry, a wheelchair user who was imprisoned in 1988 for indecently assaulting a child, has also been ordered to participate in a sex offenders' treatment program. At Teesside Crown Court yesterday, the contentious Judge Taylor again criticized the prosecution, characterizing it as "totally unsatisfactory."

Berry's defense attorney, Peter Sabiston, remarked, "I have discussed the draft SOPO with my client, and the prohibitions seem to be workable and reasonable."

Last night, Berry's daughter, Jayne, who had criticized the decision to spare her father prison, expressed relief over the new monitoring measures. The 35-year-old stated, "He should have gone to jail last time, but I'm glad the order has finally been made, and hopefully it will prevent a repeat."