Blairite ex-Labour MP, 66, is jailed for downloading and sharing sick child ... trends now
A former Labour MP who downloaded and shared indecent images of children as young as three being molested and gang raped has been jailed for more than two years today.
Paedophile 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.
Among his obscene collection included a video depicting pre-school children being raped by two men at the same time and a vile montage of 15 clips showing youngsters 'aged between three and six' being subjected to the 'most shocking acts of sexual depravity'.
Following his arrest by the National Crime Agency at his home in Gillingham, on May 12 2021, Clark told officers: 'I know why you're here. I kept telling myself to stop.'
The disgraced 66-year-old was jailed for 28 months at Maidstone Crown Court in Kent today - exactly two years after he was arrested.
Paul Clark, who represented Gillingham in Kent for 13 years from 1997, was caught with more than 1,000 stills and movie clips - with some videos showing children as young as three getting raped
As well as his vile trove of sickening abuse images, the court also heard Clark engaged in sexually explicit online chats, sharing deviant images, including a video of a teenage girl performing a sex act for more than two minutes.
They included a video lasting more than two minutes of a teenage girl performing a sex act.
Clark 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.
Passing sentence exactly two years after 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.
The judge added: 'Each of these children is a victim. From the images it is clear they are disturbed by that which is being done to them.
'This is a catalogue of criminal offending....committed for your own sexual gratification.
'It is not just a case of browsing on the internet...This is almost a level of addictive conduct which you pursued and you have a very long way to go in understanding what led you to commit these criminal offences.
'Much has been rightly said about the public service you have performed in the past. You put the community first and indeed you have tried your best to continue with issues of a community nature, not just here but in Africa, since you lost your seat in 2010.
Following his arrest by the National Crime Agency at his home in Gillingham, on May 12 2021, Clark told officers: 'I know why you're here. I kept telling myself to stop.' He is pictured as former Labour transport minister
'It is right too that I emphasise there is no suggestion that any of your offending took place during the time when you were a sitting MP.
'But there is punishment that comes your way on a very different level - the ignominy and public humiliation that your appearance in the dock in the crown court causes you.'
Earlier, the court heard details of the images, some depicting pre-school children being raped by two men at the same time.
One was a montage of 15 clips of youngsters aged between three and six years who, the judge said, were 'all under the control of adults in the most shocking acts of sexual depravity'.
On his iPhones were what prosecutor Daniel
