Reading Crown Court: Jail for Theale paedophile who re-offended

A PAEDOPHILE who once avoided jail despite being turned in by a publican is finally behind bars.

In 2017 the IT expert was given a second chance, with a suspended sentence, after being caught with more than 1,000 indecent images of young children.

Michael Tatham was arrested after brazenly showing the landlady at The Crown Inn, Theale, a video of youngsters being raped.

On that occasion prosecutor Jonathan Sank said that Tatham, who was living at Mulberry Way, Theale, was helping out at the pub after closing time, collecting glasses while using the free wi-fi for his laptop.

Mr Sank added: “He was chatting to the landlady and during the conversation he opened his laptop and started playing a video.

“This took her aback – because it was a video of child abuse.

“It was a pornographic film involving adult males and young children, estimated by the landlady to be between six and eight years old.”

While the woman looked on in horror, the court heard, Tatham pointed to one of the young victims and said: “Isn’t she lovely?”

The landlady called police, who arrested Tatham, an IT expert who repaired computers, at his home.

He later told officers he had downloaded the images from the dark web, which is hidden from view from regular internet users.

Mr Sank told the court some of the images involved children as young as three or four being raped and subjected to other sex acts.

Tatham turned up to his sentencing in 2017 with a bag packed ready for prison.

But he walked away with a suspended sentence.

On Tuesday, July 25, Tatham was back in the dock at Reading Crown Court where he admitted fresh charges of possessing hundreds of images, many depicting abuse of children as young as five years.

Bethan Chichester, prosecuting, said there were still images of children being raped, as well as videos.

Tatham had used a special browser to trawl “dark web sites such as ‘paedo links’ and ‘Lolita porn’,” she added.

He had also tried to cover his tracks and hide some of the images, the court heard.

Ms Chichester said that, on this occasion, police had been alerted by Tatham’s neighbour.

Nick Cotter, defending, conceded: “This is a repetition of his previous, nefarious activities and obviously my client needs to be punished.”

Nevertheless, he added: “My respectful submission, on behalf of the defendant, is to afford him his liberty today.

“He doesn’t deserve it in many respects.

“But there is a risk that he poses to himself if sent into immediate custody.”

Judge Kirsty Real said a pre-sentence report had concluded Tatham was at “high risk” of re-offending.

She added that there was little prospect of rehabilitation and only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.

Tatham was jailed for 17 months and ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.