MHK candidate who has 'obvious sexual interest in children' spared jail

Fowler receives suspended sentence after being caught with indecent images

A former House of Keys candidate has been spared jail after being caught with indecent images of children.

David Anthony Fowler, of Victoria Road in Douglas, was sentenced at Douglas Courthouse today (16 January) after pleading guilty to five offences.

The gardener had also admitted having an obscene article sent through the post on or about 2 November 2021.

During sentencing the deputy high bailiff told the 55-year-old - who stood unsuccessfully in three election campaigns - it was ‘clear’ he had ‘an obvious sexual interest in children’.

Indecent Images

Police searched Fowler's previous home, on Stevenson Way in Douglas, on 19 May last year.

As well as a ‘childlike’ sex doll - dressed in a school uniform - they found 45 photographs of naked children stored in a cardboard folder.  

The court was told the material recovered was at the lowest end of the scale which is used to measure the severity of indecent images.

Fowler was arrested and told officers he didn’t think the images were indecent because he didn’t believe the girls pictured were under the age of 16.

The court heard whilst it isn’t an offence to possess a sex doll it is illegal to procure one through the postal service.

‘Grave Misunderstanding’

Fowler’s advocate told the court there was ‘no sophistication’ to his client’s offending adding he’d used Google – and not the dark web – to source the images.

Describing Fowler's understanding of the internet as ‘rather naive’ he said Fowler had been under the ‘grave misunderstanding’ that anything accessible on the search engine was legal.

“It is still deeply concerning that Mr Fowler has committed offences of this nature.” – Paul Glover (Advocate)

‘Sexual Gratification’

Addressing Fowler in the dock Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood told him that behind every indecent image he possessed was a child who’d been abused.

“Indecent images of children are not only photographs,” she explained adding: “You utilised the images, and indeed the doll, for sexual gratification.” 

Acknowledging Fowler's Aspergers, and the indication of a personality disorder, she described his attempt to minimise his sexual interest in children as ‘particularly concerning’.

“It is clear you have an obvious sexual interest in children.” – Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood

Sentence

Sentencing Fowler to 20-weeks in custody, which will be suspended for two years, she also imposed a two-year probation order and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £300.

Fowler will also remain on the Sex Offenders Register for the next seven years and will be the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

The indecent images, and the sex doll, will be destroyed.