Aug 2000

Child porn video man jailed for three years

A divorced father-of-three who made videos of himself having sex with two under-age girls has been jailed by a judge for three years.

Police officers recovered the films together with indecent photographs when they arrested 44-year-old Paul Dunwell and searched his home in Valley Road, Shipley, six months ago.

Prosecutor David Gordon told Bradford Crown Court: “Both complainants are seen undressing for the camera, performing a sex act and then having full sexual intercourse with the defendant.”

He noted that on some of the films the victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were seen joking and giggling, but on others they appeared sullen and apathetic.

The youngsters were aged 14 and 15 at the time of the incidents and Dunwell’s activities did not come to light until the older girl told police in January.

During a video interview she explained how she had been attracted to Dunwell’s home because he had a bar and he allowed her to help herself from it.

She stated that he began by asking her to undress and that things progressed to sexual intercourse between them.

The teenager claimed that he would take her on trips to theme parks and even gave her “little red tablets” which made her feel drowsy.

“When she had sex with him it had been unprotected but the defendant told her he had had a vasectomy and it was safe,” said Mr Gordon.

The court heard that both youngsters were sexually experienced before meeting Dunwell and the younger girl had in fact not made any complaint against him.

But Dunwell himself admitted to police that he had had sex with both of them and yesterday he was sentenced for four offences of unlawful sexual intercourse with girls under 16 and three charges of taking indecent films and photographs.

Barrister David Hall said Dunwell was living a lonely sort of life at the time and he maintained that the girls, who he described as “mixed up”, had sex with him for money at their suggestion. He claimed it was also the older girl’s idea that he should video the sex acts.

“It is not as if he was in a relationship and preying on the children of his girlfriend or wife,” said Mr Hall. “But rather these girls did tend to come to him.”

Imposing the three-year jail term Judge Peter Hunt said: “The public would be outraged if there were non-custodial sentences for this.”

He sentenced Dunwell to 18 months in relation to each girl to be served consecutively, together with a lifetime order that he register with the police as a sex offender following his release.