Photographer 'stole innocence of children' says Worthing court

A MAN who took inappropriate photos at last year's Birdman event was accused of "stealing the innocence of children" by a judge.

James Christopher Tidd Chapman, 42, of Hazel Drive in Ipswich, was sentenced for outraging public decency at Worthing Magistrates' Court.

He was given a five-year sexual offences prevention order, banning him from taking photos of children under 18.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The order also bans him from possessing a camera, including a mobile phone, in areas where children are likely to play, such as beaches and parks.

Community order

Chapman, an unemployed software engineer, was also given an 18-month community order, which included 240 hours of unpaid work.

Sentencing him at Worthing Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, district judge, Roger Ede, said: "I consider you a thief, because you steal things from children.

"You steal their innocence and their chance to behave like children.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"When parents know there are people like you acting like this they will worry about their children and feel the need to keep them covered up rather than let them act like children."

He added; "They are not sexual objects, they are children."

Worthing Birdman

Last August, Chapman was arrested by police after a number of families had become concerned about him taking photographs of children at the annual Birdman event on Worthing Pier.

A total of 78 photos were found on his camera, a number of which had been taken of the underwear area of children as young as two.

The majority had been taken of children between the ages of 10 and 13 years old.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The court had heard Chapman liked it when children appeared innocent.

He admitted to police the photos had been taken for his sexual gratification but said they had not been intended for distribution.

He also told police he had been collecting child images for 10 years, although no photos were found on his computer.

-------------------------------------

Click here to go back to Worthing news.

Where are you? Add your pin to the Herald's international readers' map by clicking here.

Email the Herald: [email protected]

Click here for the Herald staff directory.

Want to read this page in French, German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Urdu or 48 other languages? click here for Google translate.

Related topics: