'Depraved' Katie Weeks jailed over indecent images of child

Married Katie Weeks, 36, was persuaded by Gareth Southcombe, 42, to send him vile abuse images of a young child.

Gareth Southcombe.  Pic: NCA/BNPS

After sending the pictures the 'depraved' pair then chatted about them online and 'revelled' in their content.

Officers from the National Crime Agency were already on to Southcombe as he had a history of downloading child pornography and began investigating Weeks, an illustrator and designer who produced gift cards.

Her unsuspecting husband Martyn knew nothing about his wife's sickening double life until police arrived at their luxury home on the edge of Poole Harbour to arrest her in May 2018.

A victim impact statement was read out at Bournemouth Crown Court by Mr Weeks' father in which he said his son had been 'destroyed' by the matter.

Bournemouth Crown Court. Picture: BNPS

In a police interview Weeks blamed Southcombe for what she had done.

She said she felt coerced and was worried that he would confront her husband if she stopped sending the images.

Weeks denied charges of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, taking indecent photographs of a child and distributing those indecent photographs but was found guilty following a trial.

Southcombe, who owns his own boating building company at Poole Marina, admitted possessing indecent photos of a child and possessing 43 indecent images of a child relating to pictures found on his desktop computer.

Today Weeks wept as she was jailed for nine years while Southcombe was jailed for two.

Judge Stephen Climie said: "This is a case which involves offences of the utmost gravity, which have had a devastating impact on others.

"It is difficult to understand how and why such depraved ideas would be repeated by anyone.

"The messages demonstrated you both revelled in the exchanges."

Afterwards Hazel Stewart, the NCA operations manager, said: "These were awful crimes.

"It doesn't matter what walk of life an offender is from, we will do everything in our power to catch them."

The court heard Weeks sent the pictures to Southcombe between August and October 2017.

James Horder, prosecuting, said: "Katie Weeks was having an affair with Gareth Southcombe, a man who did nothing to disguise he had a sexual interest in children.

"Not only did they discuss sexual behaviour, she sent him images which are subject to this indictment.

"He didn't disguise any delight in receiving these images.

"In May 2018 the National Crime Agency were investigating Southcombe and arrested him at his work at Poole Marina.

"The images they discovered led them to arrest Weeks at her home. Her unsuspecting husband opened the door and she was arrested.

"Police found a message from her to Southcombe asking him to delete the images."

In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mr Weeks' father Ken said: "This has caused so many sleepless nights and tears. It is heartbreaking to watch how this has destroyed my son."

Audrey Archer, defending, said Weeks had never shown an inappropriate interest in children before and accepted she deserved to go to jail.

She said: "She regrets putting everyone through a trial and accepts her wrongdoing in sending what she did to Mr Southcombe.

"She is deeply ashamed of what she has done and deeply sorry for the pain, hurt and devastation her offending has caused.

"She fully accepts that lives of others have been greatly shaken by her actions.

"The real sorrow she feels is visible in her appearance today."

Peter Cowley, defending Southcombe, said: “It is plain that they fed off each other. I don’t accept that he manipulated Katie Weeks.

“Gareth Southcombe is a man of good character who has not offended since and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

“Twenty years of his life has gone into his business and if he is given an immediate custodial sentence it will fail.”

Both Weeks and Southcombe were given indefinite sexual harm prevention orders.