Mark Eldridge secures convictions in sexual offences trial

Mark Eldridge successfully prosecuted a four-day sexual offences trial at Reading Crown Court.

The defendant, who was the complainant’s uncle, had been charged with taking indecent photographs of a child, with multiple counts of sexual assault of a child and with multiple counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. It was the Crown’s case that the complainant had been aged between six and nine years old when these offences were committed.

On arrest, the police investigated the defendant’s devices and discovered a number of indecent images of children. The defendant subsequently pleaded guilty to three counts of possession and one of distribution in relation to the photographs.

The trial judge refused to allow the defendant’s guilty pleas to be admitted as bad character evidence. Due to this ruling, the trial ultimately came down to the jury’s assessment of the witness evidence, making the case far more difficult for the prosecution to prove to the criminal standard.

Despite this, Mark successfully prosecuted the defendant, with the jury finding him guilty of all five counts on the indictment. The jury verdict was unanimous on all counts. The defendant will be sentenced later this year and a significant custodial sentence is anticipated.