One of York’s best-known market traders appeared in court today after admitting downloading images of child abuse.
Roy Dean, aka That Fudge Guy, avoided prison when he appeared at York Crown Court for sentencing.
He had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children at York Magistrates’ Court.
Dean, 63, of Broome Close, Huntington, admitted downloading 36 of the most serious category A images of children being sexually abused, as well as more than 100 category B and C images featuring pre teenage children.
Police acted in March 2020 once they received information that the 63 year old had uploaded two of these indecent images online. Officer seized Dean’s computers from his home on Huntington.
Dean initially told police that he only searched for adult pornography and the images that officers had found were, ‘titivating and entertaining’.
But the confectioner’s search history from 2015-2020, revealed he was searching for images of underage children being abused.
He was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years and handed a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order which involves attending 40 rehabilitation days.
He was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register and his access to the internet is restricted.
What the judge said
Judge Simon Hickey said the images involved ‘children in distress and in pain’. But given Dean’s guilty plea and previous good character he was, ‘not minded to send him to custody at this stage in his career’.
Ahead of today, Dean had been in contact with The Lucy Faithfull Foundation to get help for his problem.
Dean traded on Shambles Market under the name That Fudge Guy for several years. The artisan confectioner ran his popular stall at the Newgate end of the market every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, selling more than 50 varieties.
He liked to display children’s drawings of his fudge stall, and once said: “There are worse vices than fudge. I know, I’ve tried several.”
During lockdown he sold his homemade fudge online.
He was adept on social media, and was a prolific tweeter. His Twitter account has now been taken down.
Dean had previously worked as a “barman, survey assistant, art teacher, graphic designer, enterprise centre manager, business advisor and – for the last 20 years – city centre and markets manager”, according to his website.