Isle of Wight guest house owner traded sexual images of children

Stuart Pettifer, of Station Avenue, Sandown, appeared before a judge at the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Tuesday, September 17.

At a previous hearing in July, the 57-year-old admitted three counts of making an indecent image of a child, between November 7 and November 18, 2022.

Of the images seized by the police, 14 of them were classed as Category A, the most serious kind.

Police also found 12 Category B images, and a further 23 Category C images.

Pettifer also admitted to distributing an indecent photograph of a child, namely one category C image, on December 2, 2022.

Prosecutor, Alexandra Bull, said police attended The Fernside Guest House – Pettifer and his wife’s business – and an iPhone was seized.

She said the Kik messenger app was on the mobile, the associated account was in a number of chat rooms, and Pettifer had shared an image of a young girl in a bikini with other users.

Ms Bull told the court the users discussed trading images, the ages of the children on the device ranged from five to 14 years old, and the mobile history contained deliberate searches for pre-teens.

Leigh Hart, defending, said it was the first time Pettifer had found himself in court and she highlighted numerous character references.

She said he fell down a black hole during a low point in his marriage, and boredom and frustration over a lack of intimacy led him astray.

The court heard curiosity got the better of him, and he was embarrassed and ashamed to be where he is.

Ms Hart said he was motivated to change and rehabilitate himself, describing him as a loving family man.

Pettifer, whose search terms indicated a sexual interest in young girls, was handed an eight-month jail term, suspended for 18 months, to include 45 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was also made subject of a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must pay costs of £150.