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	Choir Master Had Images of Children Editoril The Welwyn & Hatfield Times [United Kingdom] May 10, 2006 http://www.whtimes.co.uk/content/whtimes/news/story.aspx? brand=WHTOnline&category=News&tBrand=herts24&tCategory= newswhtnew&itemid=WEED09%20May%202006%2012%3A38%3A26%3A630 A CHURCH choir master has escaped a prison sentence after police found over 1,000 images of child pornography on his computer. Andrew Crookall, of Downfields, WGC, regularly fantasised about touching the children he taught, St Albans Crown Court heard on Friday. The 43-year-old, who is director of music at WGC's St Francis Assisi Church, was caught with around 26,000 images of youngsters, 1,027 of which were illegal. A police raid on his home on March 1 also uncovered a 20-minute film showing an adult man having sex with a young boy. The judge, Recorder John Plumstead, told Crookall his crime was "on the cusp of custody" but let him off with a two-year community rehabilitation order. He was also banned from teaching children for 10 years and will remain on the sex offenders register for five. Outlining the case, prosecutor Viv Goddard told the court Crookall enjoyed looking at pictures of boys in swimming trunks and found "the innocence of children very attractive". "He said he has fantasies about the children he has taught and imagines that they are naked," she said. "He had these fantasies at any time of day." Crookall, who also teaches private, one-on-one music and singing lessons, had told police he would never cross the line from fantasy to reality. His claims were backed by the priest at St Francis of Assisi who said in a letter that children at the church had never been at risk. But Judge Plumstead said he did not accept there was "no risk" of the music teacher going on to abuse children. "His embarking on a spiral towards real abuse in real life has been interrupted," he said. "It's an addiction and the danger is it requires a stronger and stronger dose. Maybe he would have always contained the Christian self restraint but maybe he wouldn't. Luckily we will never know." In mitigation, defence counsel Clive Smith said that on the outside Crookall's life had been both praiseworthy and blameless. He had also pleaded guilty to all 11 charges of possessing indecent images and had been open with police throughout, he said. "He knows his personal sentence will not expire and he will carry it for the rest of his life," he said. "He is genuinely remorseful about what happened." Sentencing Crookall, Judge Plumstead said: "I'm not going to send you to prison but that is not because what you did is not serious. "The viewing of these images is not a private act - it has become part of the widespread abuse of children all over the world.
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