The Tory With More Than 1500 Indecent Images: It Is Not What You Know

This is one of those articles that can be hard to word correctly. The words are there, and they’re angry words, so putting them together cohesively will be a challenge. 

Just last weekend, a few news outlets ran with the disturbing story of the former Conservative Party campaign manager, Mark Lerigo, who pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent images, one count of possessing extreme pornography involving animals, one count of possessing prohibited images of children and one count of publishing an obscene article. 

Lerigo was found to have more than 1,500 indecent images of babies, children, and animals. 

49 year old Lerigo, was first arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency in November 2018. Investigators found the images along with a WhatsApp chat with another offender, and they spoke about the sexual abuse of children. 

Disgusting Lerigo owned an iPad which contained a total of 1,005 illegal images, including 146 classed as category A, the most serious level, and 258 images of extreme pornography. Lerigo also had a laptop which contained evidence of 414 illegal images, including 59 category A images.

Mark Lerigo is a seriously disturbed individual. Put the politics to one side. He is still a seriously disturbed individual. 

Personally, I’m a firm believer in rehabilitation. It is possible to stop an armed robber from picking up a gun and reoffending. It is possible to stop a car thief from stealing your car. But rehabilitation must be balanced out with public safety, and if the crime warrants a custodial sentence, then so be it. 

Lerigo appeared at Warwick Crown Court on the 21st August, and he was given a two-year jail term suspended for two years, as well as 150 hours unpaid work and being made subject to a four-month electronic curfew between 8pm and 6am. He’ll also be on the sex offenders register for 10 years. 

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?

Despite committing crimes so heinous, he walked free from court. If you’re not angry about this then I’m afraid you’re not paying attention. 

I tweeted about this yesterday, several times, one particular tweet has been seen over 250,000 times. I am not complaining about a media blackout. I would be the first to call it out if it was the case, but it has been reported by the BBC and SKY. 

My issue is an unbelievably lenient sentence handed down to an ex-Tory campaign manager for committing unbelievably hideous offences. 

Where’s that microphallus Robinson? Isn’t Tommeh usually all over this kind of lenient sentence for ‘nonces’, or does his campaigning only target Muslims? Come on Stephen, step up to the plate and condemn this ridiculousness. 

I won’t hold my breath. 

So who issued the sentence, and what did he have to say? 

Recorder Martin Butterworth said: 

“I have to sentence you for downloading dreadful images of children, of children being abused, and downloading other unlawful sexual images.

Any consumer of this dreadful material causes others to make it.

You held a senior post in a political party. You are now disgraced, your reputation destroyed.

Those two factors are not mitigation and you're not entitled to any sympathy for that.

But you have demonstrated remorse and shame by your attitude in interviews, latterly with the police but most recently with the Probation Service, and you have pleaded guilty.”

Explaining the decision to suspend the jail sentence, the recorder added that he had to consider the best way to protect the public and children.

Why on earth was he handing out this sentence? Is this really a case of it’s not what you know, but who you know? 

I haven’t really looked into Recorder Butterworth. I dread to think what I will find. But I do know he has form. 

Back in 2016 he let off another paedophile. This one had 137,000 indecent images - but Recorder Butterworth suspended his sentence because the paedophile wanted to start a family. One hundred and thirty seven thousand. But it’s ok, because he wants his own children. The mind boggles.

Look at these examples of sentencing for other acts of criminality. 

The homeless man in Bath, Somerset, that stole a Ginsters sausage roll and some baby milk? Off to prison you go. 

The thief that pinched 2 pairs of trainers from a porch in Ipswich? 6 months in prison. 

How about the chocolate thief from South Derbyshire? He stole more than £180 worth of chocolate from B & M Bargains. And what punishment awaited the sweet-toothed pilferer? 12 weeks in prison. 

Now I’m not arguing about the validity of these sentences. That is an entirely different debate altogether. Although I don’t think any of the examples I’ve given are former Tory campaign managers, who is likely to have many helpful connections in his community.

My problem is with a depraved individual such as Lerigo walking free. It’s a fucking travesty. 

What kind of message does this send to the victims of child abuse? Are we supposed to give Lerigo a little clap for agreeing to “40 days of rehabilitation”? What about a pat on the back for handing over 4 electronic devices? It’s not like he can just pop down to Asda and buy another phone for less than the cost of a Christmas tree. 

Are we really supposed to believe this despicable filth, this grotesque excuse for a human being, wouldn’t be locked up in a cell if he wasn’t an established connected Conservative? 

An ex-Tory campaign manager in possession of 1,500 indecent images of babies, children, and animals is spared jail, while we are banging up a sausage roll thief. This is seriously fucked up. This is Tory Britain.

We are living in a country where cronyism is the norm. The wealth of the rich will always be more important the health of the people. If you know the right people, in the right places, you can directly influence government, and opposition policies. 

To be absolutely clear, this isn’t an issue exclusive to the Conservative Party. Labour politicians have been found guilty of some repugnant crimes, and once again, the punishment has been way too lenient. I am focusing on this particular case because it has just happened. Feel free to write your own blog about other disturbed individuals from the Labour Party, Lib Dems, or anyone else.

To me, this dreadful, stomach churning, and ultimately soul destroying account of the former Conservative campaign manager, avoiding jail for his depraved, vulgar crimes, is simply a case of not what you know, but who you know, and that, my friends, makes me want to vomit. 

Until next time. Take care of yourselves,

Rachael 

If you or someone you know is affected by what I’ve spoke about in this piece, or if you just need someone to speak with, you are not on your own. Please take a look at Supportline.org - support and advice is on hand x

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts, if you want to chip in towards helping me improve my ongoing campaign, and it causes you *no hardship*, you can do so here