Children’s entertainer and balloon artist gave himself up to police after his girlfriend found child porn on his tablet, court hears

• Samuel Stamp-Dod’s girlfriend found the child porn and said to hand himself in
• Stamp-Dod, 46, admitted to three counts of making indecent images of children
• He has been sentenced to eight months in jail and is suspended for two years 

A children’s entertainer gave himself up to police after his horrified girlfriend found child pornography on his tablet, a court heard. 

Samuel Stamp-Dod’s girlfriend found an indecent picture of a ten-year-old on the balloon artist’s tablet and went on to find more child porn, prosecutor Matthew Bagnall told Ipswich Crown Court.

She had gone downstairs early in the morning for a glass of water when she made the grim discovery.   

Balloon maker Samuel Stamp-Dod handed himself in to Ipswich police after his girlfriend found child pornography on his tablet 

She ended their relationship, and told him he should turn himself in to the police. 

The entertainer, who has won awards for his balloon sculptures, went to Ipswich police station, spoke to officers and handed them his phone.

A police examination of his devices found 216 indecent images of the most serious kind – category A – along with 304 at category B and 1,030 at category C.

Stamp-Dod, of Ipswich, 46, admitted three counts of making indecent images of children and possessing an extreme pornographic image on January 5 last year.

Judge Emma Peters told him that ‘those who view indecent images fuel child abuse.’

She added: ‘This is why you should hang your head in shame. It has an enormous and devastating impact on the lives of children.’

Stamp-Dod was given an eight months jail sentence, suspended for two years, and up to 60 rehabilitation activity days.

He must also sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years and was made subject to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

David Stewart, defending, said Stamp-Dod had already engaged with child protection charity the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and helpline Stop It Now.

He added: ‘He makes no attempt to minimise or justify his actions.’

Mr Stewart added that Stamp-Dod had now closed his business called VIP Balloons.

Stamp-Dod is the former chairman of the Ipswich & Suffolk Small Business Association.

He described himself on his website as having been a professional balloon artist since 2001.

His business provided speciality balloons and entertainment packages for parties for children as well as adults, as well as weddings and corporate events.

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