Dyslexia expert avoids prison over child porn

A WORLD-renowned expert in child dyslexia has avoided being sent to prison despite being caught with almost 7,000 indecent images of children on his computer.

Retired Hull University lecturer Dr Christopher Singleton admitted nine counts of accessing indecent images and was given a suspended prison sentence by a judge at Hull Crown Court.

The 65-year-old had more than 6,734 indecent images on his computer – 1,000 at the most serious level – downloaded over a three-year period from 2006. He was caught as part of an international operation against online paedophiles.

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Singleton, who has worked with hundreds of children in developing the world's first computer programme to test five-year-olds for dyslexia, was arrested last February.

His arrest came days after he spoke at a British dyslexia conference – and his work was deemed so important the Government used it to shape their policy on dealing with child dyslexia.

At the crown court, Judge Roger Thorn QC told Singleton: "You have come to the end of your professional career aged 65 and it has ended in such a disastrous way for you. That's its own punishment.

"You are a psychologist and have spent your professional life in that discipline and had a special interest in child development. You, of all people, must be aware these are not victimless crimes. You have lectured on child abuse.

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"That's a gross hypocrisy when you were doing it yourself. Behind every one of these ghastly pictures there was a real child."

In mitigation, Anil Murray said Singleton was "overwhelmed with shame and remorse".

Mr Murray said: "This defendant began having an interest in art and would draw nude paintings using naked pictures. That's how he started going on the internet.

"He accepts he moved on and went further than that. He began looking at porn.

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"He says he never deliberately searched for child porn. He wants to reassure the public that his role was not to be in contact with children when he did his research."

Singleton, of Hull Road, Cottingham, was investigated by the Internet Sex Offender Investigation section of Humberside Police last February as part of Operation Typhoon.

He was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, and ordered to undertake a sex offenders' programme.

He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years, given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and told he has to show his computer to the police on a regular basis.

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Singleton retired from Hull University last June after 40 years. He has published four books on child dyslexia and observed more than 400 five-year-old schoolchildren for two years in the early 90s. His software is also in 6,000 schools nationwide and is used internationally.

Over the course of his career, Singleton has published 100 papers on his specialist subject of child dyslexia.

Sentencing Singleton, the judge said: "This is a dreadfully shameful period for you. There are those in court who will forgive you, whether or not you forgive yourself is another matter."