June 2023

Dangerous paedophile Stuart Bulling has been jailed again

A dangerous multi-convicted paedophile with 11 convictions for 57 offences who identifies as a woman and has shown the utmost contempt for the legal system, his lawyers and probation, by refusing to leave his cell to attend his latest sentence hearing, has been jailed again.

Stuart Bulling, who was convicted in 2019 of up-skirting and making indecent images of children, refused to appear in court on Friday for his most recent hearing, in which he was to be sentenced for five counts of making indecent images of children and nine breaches of his sexual harm prevention order, which he pleaded guilty to in March.

Bulling, formerly of Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, has 11 convictions for 57 offences, all of a similar sexual nature, including some for indecent assault, another for sexual assault on a child under the age of 13 and several for possesson of indecent images of kids

Bob Elias, defending at Preston Crown Court, said 54-year-old Bulling, “expressed his contempt for the court, his lawyers, and me”, to which Recorder Michelle Brown said by absenting himself from court she was satisfied it was, “an attempt to disrupt proceedings”.

Paul Brookwell, prosecuting, said police visited Bulling’s home address in May last year and asked to see his devices.

Mr Brookwell said: “He was spoken to by officers and said he didn’t have any other devices other than a mobile phone.

“But police then found three SD cards, which Bulling said held ‘a lot of bad stuff’, and eventually various other devices linked to the internet which had not been registered or presented to the police when asked.

“They were examined, and VPNs and cleaning software were found on them, which had been used to access the dark web, which indicates an effort to hide his activity from others.

“Officers also found 125 category A indecent images of children (category A being the worst), 93 category B images, 42,587 category C images, seven extreme pornographic images and one prohibited image.

“Some of the children in the images were as young as three.

“There were just over 34,000 files that weren’t examined by the police due to the sheer volume that had been uncovered already.”

Mr Brookwell said police also found various videos recorded by Bulling himself, of him walking round Blackburn town centre, filming children, and while not illegal, were disturbing.

Bulling was interviewed and provided no comment, but later pleaded guilty to all the offences.

Defending, Mr Elias said: “He says he hates probation and blames his past offending on social services and probation.

“He identifies as a woman in his normal life and there were images taken by him in Blackburn Market of children.

“He says he collects these images like cigarette cards or football cards and will swap them with people.

“This is a worrying and disturbing case.”

Michelle Brown, sentencing, said: “You were released from your 2019 sentence in September 2021 and only one month later did police receive information that you were communicating with another sex offender.

“When they arrived at your home in May last year they found three SD cards which you said contained some ‘really bad stuff’, putting you in breach of your order.

“What the police found was vile and disturbing. The fear, pain and distress these children went through is unimaginable.

“People like you create, and add to this evil market for your own pleasure and sexual gratification.

“It’s a worry, in filming children like you did, without their knowledge, that you were setting up your next victims.

“I have considered your mitigation of which there is very little, and not just because you refused to attend today but because there is little that can be said on your behalf.

“It’s clear that you are significantly high risk and I am satisfied that you present a high risk of re-offending.”

Bulling was handed an extended sentence made up of three years eight months in prison and three years on extended license, totalling six years eight months.

He was also made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offender’s register for life.

November 2019

Paedophile took pictures up young girls’ skirts in Asda

A dangerous paedophile followed teenage girls around an Asda supermarket taking pictures up their skirts.

Preston Crown Court heard how 50-year-old Stuart Bulling was seen by security staff at 5pm on September 5 taking photographs up the skirts of young females, a practice known as upskirting, in the Rawtenstall store.

Prosecuting, Paul Cummings said Bulling was seen by staff on CCTV looking at his phone and smiling.

Police were called and Bulling was arrested close to one of his victims, who was just 15.

Mr Cummings said: “It seems that the victim was spoken to and she confirmed she had been in the shop. She was on the ground floor on the travelator to the first floor

“The defendant had followed her up on the travelator. He was arrested by police when he was in her vicinity.

“She said she became aware of what was taking place. She turned around to see the defendant being apprehended.

“She was told about what had happened. She said this made her feel sick and scared.”

When Bulling’s phone was examined police found a whole host of child abuse images. There were 497 category A images – the most serious abuse – 325 category B and 380 category C.

Victims in the pictures and videos ranged in age from newborns to 15-year-olds, Mr Cummings said.

The court heard when Bulling, of Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, was interviewed by police he mostly answered no comment to questions put to him. But at one point he admitted there were a few things on his phone and said: “Now I’m going to go to prison.”

The court heard Bulling was jailed for three years and given a three-year extended licence in 2003 after admitting indecently assaulting children and possessing indecent images.

When police raided his home on that occasion they found bags containing youngsters’ hair, children’s socks, women’s underwear, empty Smarties packets, cannabis leaves inside a school book and a black book full of pornographic passages.

In 2011 Bulling was jailed for 18 months for groping a schoolgirl in the same Asda store.

For his latest offending he pleaded to three charges of making indecent images and two of voyeurism.

Jailing Bulling for two years with an extended licence of three years, Judge Andrew Woolman said: “You are in complete denial and you don’t cooperate with the probation service.

“The one protective factor there was perhaps your mother but sadly she has now died.

“You are dangerous and it’s right for me to pass such a sentence. It’s clear that you do need watching very carefully.”

Bulling was handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and told to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.