Former Kent MP and Minister jailed for making and distributing indecent images of children

  • WATCH ITV News Meridian's Joe Coshan questioning Paul Clark on his way to court.

A former Labour MP who downloaded and distributed indecent images of children being abused has been jailed for more than two years.

Paul Clark, who represented Gillingham in Kent for 13 years from 1997, was caught with more than 1,000 stills and movie clips on five electronic devices and showing some of the most serious acts of abuse.

Maidstone Crown Court, Kent, heard today (12 May) the 66-year-old also engaged in sexually explicit online chats in which he shared a number of the deviant images.

Following his arrest by the National Crime Agency at his home in First Avenue, Gillingham, on May 12 2021, Clark told officers: "I know why you're here. I kept telling myself to stop."

Clark was jailed for 28 months. Credit: PA Images.

But the court was told by prosecutor Daniel Stevenson that none of Clark's offending occurred while he was an MP.

During his time in office, he was a parliamentary private secretary for high profile Cabinet members including deputy prime minister John Prescott and education secretary Ed Balls.

Clark, who at a previous hearing gave an address in Wallington, Surrey, pleaded guilty in December last year to three offences of making indecent photos of children between April 2013 and May 2021 and six of distribution between October 2020 and May 2021.

Mr Stevenson said however that there were two 'distinct periods of offending', with just 20 images having been downloaded in 2013 and the majority seven years later during the Covid pandemic lockdown.

Maidstone Crown Court. Credit: ITV News Meridian.

A total of 298 category A images - the most serious classification - 415 category B and 733 category C images were found on two iPhones, an HP laptop, a hard drive and Acer computer tower. Of these, 343 were videos, with 141 classed as category A.

Paul Clark. Credit: National Crime Agency

On his iPhones were what Mr Stevenson described as 'two significant chatlogs' in which, during WhatsApp and Kik conversations with two other users identified as 'Toni' and 'PR', Clark discussed the sexual abuse of children and shared explicit images and videos.

"Other chatlogs indicate that the defendant was also using Kik to identify and talk to users who may have been under the age of 18," added Mr Stevenson.

But he said: "There is no evidence that any of the offending took place while he was the Member of Parliament for Gillingham."

The court heard that Clark's life took a 'downward spiral' during the pandemic and led to his further offending.

Ronnie Manek, defending, said: "Covid hit and played a huge factor. It was a time when the country was in lockdown, and I appreciate it's no justification, but it can affect the mindset of individuals."

Passing sentence exactly two years post Clark's arrest, Judge Philip Statman told him although the case represented 'a tragic fall for someone who had put the community first', his offending was so serious that jail was inevitable.

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