Man admits running porn racket (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Man admits running porn racket

8:35am Wednesday 14th March 2007 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

A 62-year-old man running an illegal pornography business was caught by a Trading Standards officer posing as a customer.

When arrested, Malcolm Stevens was found with nearly 800 unclassified porn films.

He sold the tapes from two bin bags in the back of his black Volvo estate, Swindon Magistrates' Court heard.

He first attracted suspicion by promoting his services in our sister paper the Swindon Advertiser.

Stevens, of Easton Road, Bristol, pleaded guilty to four charges of supplying a video recording of unclassified work dating back to April 11 and 16 charges of possessing unclassified video recordings for supply from June 14.

Rosie Bone, prosecuting, said that Stevens was snared when a female Trading Standards officer responded to his notice in the Adver.

They arranged to meet at the Oasis leisure centre car park and she paid him £100 for eight DVDs. A further sting was set up on June 12, at Swindon train station car park.

Mrs Bone said: "Two-hundred-and-forty DVDs were found within the motor vehicle. They were seized along with a filofax, paperwork and two mobile phones."

A subsequent raid on Stevens' home uncovered 528 DVDs, televisions, four video recorders and a DVD player. He also had £1,200 in cash.

Stevens, described by his solicitor as a decent member of the community, said he had spent the last 20 years as a painter and decorator but the prosecution said he was unable to back this up.

"He claimed to have been working for only one client but he doesn't know his address," Mrs Bone said.

"There is no trading name for the business and no evidence of this business." She added: "He claims he obtained his films by swapping them with friends or borrowing them and recording them for himself or from traders in pubs.

"He claimed about half were for himself. He was unable to identify which ones and there was no distinction in the order in which they were found.

"For a number of films there were several copies found including some that are marked master'."

Defending, Philip Hall said that Stevens, who has a son in prison for drug offences, wanted to start a new life in Cornwall.

"Mr Stevens is someone who over the years has drifted into this position," he said. "Mr Stevens is not alone in this.

"If he were there wouldn't have been any possible source from which he could have satisfied his own foibles."

Mr Hall said Stevens, who also advertised in the Bristol Evening Post, had not tried to rebuild his collection after being raided.

"He and his wife are selling their home in Bristol within the next fortnight and moving to Cornwall, where he will do his best to establish a painting and decorating business.

"He bitterly regrets his involvement in this matter. He is a decent hard-working member of the community who caused no trouble."

Magistrates adjourned the case until April 2 for sentencing. Stevens was given unconditional bail.