May 2023

Convicted Maidstone pervert had DVD showing two women performing sex act with a dog when police called round to his home in Ruskin Grove

A n already convicted paedophile had a DVD showing two women performing a sex act with a dog when police visited his home to see if he was sticking to the conditions of a sexual harm prevention order.

Police went to Roland Symmons’ home in Maidstone unannounced to check if he was abiding by the terms laid out in his court order which he had been given 18 years ago.

Symmons was previously jailed for 15 months in 2005 for possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

At the time, Maidstone Crown Court heard he had a sickening addiction to viewing indecent images of children and he admitted seven charges of possessing indecent photographs of a child and three of distributing indecent photographs.

The court also heard that he had been jailed for four months in June 1998 for committing similar offences of possessing indecent images of children.

And in August 2001, the father-of-two was sent to prison for eight months for outraging public decency at a “dogging” lay-by off the A249 at Detling, near Maidstone.

In 2005, not only was he jailed but the court also placed him on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and issued a sexual harm prevention order which banned him from owning a computer and working with or being in the presence of children under 16 without a parent present.

Officers had gone to his home earlier this month after realising he had a Facebook account which showed him with a child, something he’s not allowed to do a part of his SHPO.

However, when officers searched the 57-year-old’s home on May 21 they found the DVD which was titled “Dog House” and that Symmons had an internet ready device at his home – something he was prohibited from having as part of his order.

Symmons, of Ruskin Road, Maidstone, was later charged with three offences, possessing extreme pornographic images, possessing images of children – which he was prohibited from doing because of the order – and possessing an internet enabled device, which he was also not allowed to have at home.

He admitted all three offences when he appeared before magistrates in Medway on Monday May 22.

The court heard when officers went to his home he refused to tell them who the child was in the picture of his Facebook account.

James Nichols prosecuting said: “Officers made an unannounced visit after seeing he had a Facebook account which showed a picture of him and a child and he is not allowed to have pictures of children, it is a breach of his order.

“He had images of children on devices and he would not tell police who the children were.”

Mr Nichols told the court Symmons also had a DVD titled Dog House which showed a woman performing a sex act with a dog.

The court also heard there was no suggestion Symmons had any indecent images of children and that the pictures he did have on devices just showed him with his grandchildren.

District Judge Stephen Leake was also told the order on Symmons had been in place for 18 years and that he had been married for 22 years and had two children and four grandchildren and it was those youngsters who were in his pictures.

The court also heard since 2005, when Symmons was given the sexual harm prevention order, technology had progressed a lot and that the internet ready device he had at home had been for work, but his order had been made so long ago, it didn’t have a condition that he could use it from his home.

Judge Leake decided to order a pre-sentencing report to be carried out on Symmons and he was granted bail until he is sentenced which will be held at the same court on June 14

September 2005

Snodland man addicted to child sex abuse images is jailed

A 40-year-old man with a sickening addiction to child sexual abuse images has been jailed for 15 months after a judge told him: “This is the highly unacceptable face of modern technology.”

Roland Symmons is likely to be free in just over three months because of time spent in custody, but a period of extended supervision was ordered in an attempt to prevent further offending.

The father-of-two, of Willowside, Snodland, near Rochester, admitted seven charges of possessing indecent photographs of a child and three of distributing indecent photographs.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that he was jailed for four months in June 1998 for committing similar offences of possessing indecent images of children.

In August 2001, he was sent to prison for eight months for outraging public decency in front of his four-year-old son at a “dogging” lay-by off the A249 at Detling, near Maidstone.

Caroline Knight, prosecuting, said the latest offences were discovered as a result of a police operation in the United States.

Symmons received an indecent image of a child by email and an investigation was launched.

Miss Knight said the child porn was found on a computer Symmons used at his wife’s home. He no longer lived there but was a frequent visitor.

When examined, the computer was found to have a large number of “chat logs”, which indicated he was seeking out people to swap indecent pictures of children.

Dartford-born Symmons had sent six such pictures to unknown people by email. Video clips of abuse were found on the computer’s hard drive, while 80 images had been deleted.

Miss Knight said Symmons was at first evasive but then made full admissions.

James Ross, defending, said right-thinking people would be shocked and disgusted if they viewed just one of the pictures.

“In this case, we have 10 to deal with,” he said. “This perpetuates abuse against children. The internet has brought out the dark side in human nature.

“He has lost his family. His mother attends court. She is very concerned about her son. She wants him to be treated.”

Mr Ross said Symmons, who had been in custody for almost four months, was “an occasional player” and had not accumulated a large number of images.

Only one of the images on his computer was at the highest level of five, he said.

But Judge Philip Statman pointed out that is was of a child who was gagged and subjected to sexual depravity.

“He says he needs help,” said Mr Ross. “In 1998, he obviously wasn’t cured. Probation say a community rehabilitation order for three years would be necessary to cure him of his problems.

“There is no indication that any time in custody has done anything to cure him. This is an offence better prevented by changing the mind-set of a person.”

Mr Ross added: “This has cost Mr Symmons dearly. He has suffered grievously as a result of his actions. He himself has been asking for treatment. He did a terrible thing. He knows he must be punished. He asks also that he be treated.”

Judge Statman ordered that at the end of the sentence there should be supervision for a further 15 months.

Symmons was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and banned from owning a computer and working with or being in the presence of children under 16 without a parent present.