A paedophile who planned to go on the run with £10,000 after being caught with child sex abuse photos will never get the money back.
David Morris, 52, faced a Proceeds of Crime hearing at Liverpool Crown Court today, June 6, after previously being sentenced to 16 years in prison in December for raping and sexually assaulting a young girl along with his partner Julie Morris.
Police raided Morris' home on Sandfield Road in Eccleston, St Helens, on September 2 last year after he was caught sending indecent photos to another paedophile online and seized his phone, computer and other digital equipment. He was arrested on suspicion of possession and distribution of indecent images of children, questioned by police and bailed with conditions.
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The following day, Friday September 3, police received information about Morris and his partner Julie Morris having committed sexual offences against a child and that the couple were planning to go on the run. Officers managed to track the couple down at an address in Hindley where they were found with £10,000 in cash and a campervan packed with their belongings, which indicated they were about to abscond.
David Morris was arrested alongside his partner Julie Morris, who worked at St George's Central Primary School in Tyldesley, Wigan, where she was the "safeguarding lead". Liverpool Crown Court heard in December that none of the offences committed by the pair were related to Julie Morris' job.
The couple filmed themselves jointly raping a young girl in abuse a judge said was "almost beyond belief". Julie Morris admitted 18 sexual offences, including two counts of rape, while David Morris admitted 34 sexual offences, including seven counts of rape.
Julie Morris was jailed for 13 years and four months with an extended four years on licence, while David Morris was jailed for 16 years with an extended four years on licence. The judge ordered them both to sign on the Sex Offenders Register and to comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.
During a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court today, June 6, David Morris was made subject of a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act in relation to the £10,000 he was found in possession of when trying to abscond. The cash was seized by police at the time of his arrest and will now be split between Merseyside Police and the Home Office to be reinvested in policing.
Detective Inspector Lisa Milligan said: “Morris thought that he and Julie Morris could evade capture and avoid paying for their heinous crimes. They were wrong.
“Officers from Merseyside Police acted swiftly to detain the pair and seize this cash, and I’m pleased to say it will now be reinvested in policing, helping our officers continue to put offenders before the courts and protect vulnerable people in Merseyside from harm.”
Det Insp Milligan added: “The offences committed by Julie and David Morris have had a devastating impact on the victims and their families, who continue to live with the psychological torment they both inflicted.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the victims who came forward and their families, whose help was vital in putting the offenders behind bars and protecting others from their offending.
“I would also like to pay tribute to the investigation team and all those officers involved in ensuring the attempts of David and Julie Morris to avoid justice were extremely short-lived.
“This case illustrates very clearly how committed our officers are to ensuring people who exploit children in any way are stopped and put before the courts.”
Any child, or young person who is a victim of sexual abuse, or anyone who knows of a child being abused, is urged to come forward and report this to police. Merseyside Police has a specialist team committed to dealing with all forms of child abuse, who will treat any information from you extremely seriously, and will follow up every report and any information that comes in.
If you have any suspicions about children who could be at risk of child abuse, please report it to police. Call 999 if you suspect such an incident is in progress, or pass any other information via 101, @MerPolCC on Twitter, or anonymously via 0800 555 111.
If you are a child or young person suffering sexual or physical abuse, the following organisations can also provide help and support:
NSPCC – call 0808 800 5000 or e-mail help@nspcc.org.uk
Childline – call 0800 1111
Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre Cheshire and Merseyside, who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063 or Rape and Sexual Assault Merseyside (RASA) on 0151 558 1801
