Former Tory campaign manager kicked out over online child sex abuse offences

[dutchman]

Mark Lerigo has been dismissed from the Conservative Party after admitting his crimes at court



A former Conservative Party campaign manager from Coventry has been kicked out of the party after admitting online child sexual abuse offences.

Mark Lerigo pleaded guilty to the crimes - relating to "terrible content" that sustains children's suffering - at Warwick Crown Court on June 24.

He admitted two counts of distributing indecent images of children (IIOC), three counts of making IIOC, one count of possessing extreme pornography involving animals, one count of possessing prohibited images of children and one count of publishing an obscene article.

Responding to a query from CoventryLive today (July 27), a spokesman for the Conservative Party said: “Mr Lerigo has been dismissed from the Party."

He had previously been suspended pending the outcome of judicial proceedings.

It’s understood that Conservative Campaign Headquarters had no knowledge of the charges before they came to court in June 2020.

Lerigo is currently on unconditional bail before his sentencing hearing at the same court on August 21.

[dutchman]

Former Tory campaign manager caught with 'terrible' child abuse images gets suspended sentence



A former Conservative Party campaign manager from Coventry found with over 1,400 indecent images of children has avoided going to prison.

Mark Lerigo was today (August 21) handed a suspended sentence after previously admitting online child sexual abuse offences.

Earlier this summer, he pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent images, one count of possessing extreme pornography involving animals, one count of possessing prohibited images of children and one count of publishing an obscene article.

He appeared for sentencing today at Warwick Crown Court where he was given a two-year jail term suspended for two years, as well as 150 hours unpaid work and being made subject to a four-month electronic curfew between 8pm and 6am.

Lerigo will sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years and also has a decade-long sexual harm prevention order made against him.

Four electronic devices will also be forfeited and Lerigo will cough up £670 in court costs.