Man tried to snatch phone back from police before they found sick images of children on it

A paedophile who was caught amassing sick images of infants for the third time claimed he "does not have a sexual interest in children".

Kris Hatton first came to the court's attention in January 2014 and received a police caution for four charges of possessing indecent images of children. He was again spared jail in December 2021 due to his complex learning difficulties, despite amassing hundreds of sick child sex abuse images.

And despite being hauled back before the courts for a third time this week for similar offences, the 31-year-old still claims to not have a sexual interest in children. Following his offending in 2021, a sexual harm prevention order was enforced to monitor Hatton's usage of electronic devices.

Part of the order meant Hatton was regularly visited by specialist officers from Merseyside Police's sexual offences unit. When officers attended his address on March 15 this year, they looked at Hatton's iPhone and examinations revealed that part of its history had been wiped.

Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, October 30, that Hatton was noted to be acting suspiciously, and at one point attempted to snatch back his phone. The iPhone was taken away for further examination and officers were able to recover nearly 200 indecent images of children.

These included 137 category C images, 28 category B files and 33 category A images. The category A images, the most serious category, showed girls aged between eight and 10 years old. The category B and C images showed girls as young as six. The officers also recovered 11 prohibited computer generated images of females aged between six and 10.

The examinations also revealed the phone had Mega NZ software installed on it, which was not allowed and was a breach of the sexual harm prevention order. Mr Blasbery said Hatton was interviewed and told officers he "did not know why he had the pictures, he just did".

Hatton, of Princes Avenue, Toxteth, also claimed the pictures "were not for sexual gratification". He was released under investigation, but around four months later on July 13, police received a report he had used his PlayStation to speak to two girls aged five and eight. Mr Blasbery told the court the defendant asked the girls "if they wanted to have a sleepover".

Officers raided his address shortly after 10pm that day and arrested him. They found five registered devices at his address - three phones and two PlayStations - but also an unregistered Amazon Alexa which was a further breach of his sexual harm prevention order. When interviewed Hatton, who has two previous convictions for six offences, answered no comment to all questions.

In mitigation, Charles Lander, defending, told the court his client, who lives in supported accommodation, has learning difficulties and was "obsessive about online gaming which is how he spends his time". A judge in a previous sentence put on record Hatton has an IQ of 60.

Mr Lander said his client had "a lack of friend and family support" and was isolated. Despite the haul of images, Mr Lander said Hatton maintains "he does not have a sexual interest in children".

He added his client had been on remand at HMP Altcourse since his guilty pleas to the offences at the lower court. Hatton pleaded guilty to making and possessing indecent images of children, possessing prohibited images and two breaches of the sexual harm prevention order. There was not a charge in relation to communicating with a sexual purpose to the two children on PlayStation.

Given Hatton's learning difficulties, Mr Lander said rehabilitation programmes outside of an immediate custodial sentence could be beneficial to his client. He added the court potentially "could take a risk on him".

His Honour Judge Denis Watson KC told Hatton that his reoffending came around half way through the previous community order enforced by the court in December 2021. He said Hatton's "harmful behaviour" was the opposite of what the order was intended for.

He jailed Hatton, who wore a blue tracksuit and had medium length black hair, to 30 months imprisonment. He also made a forfeiture order for Hatton's electronic devices and enforced a new sexual harm prevention order which will run indefinitely.

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