Newcastle husband and wife on child rape charges

Downpatrick Magistrates’ Court also heard claims the police uncovered photographic evidence that showed Gary Talbot, 58, and his 57-year-old wife Heather Talbot engaging in sexual acts, including rape, with the as yet unidentified little girl.

While Gary Talbot faces two counts of rape and his wife a count of aiding and abetting rape, the married couple, from Kinghill Avenue in the Co Down seaside town, are jointly charged with gross indecency with a child, inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency, indecent assault and three counts alleging they possessed, made and distributed indecent images of a child.

The court heard the allegations date back to between 2001 and 2003 when the alleged victim, named in police interviews by Gary Talbot but who police have not been able to contact, was aged between 18 months and five years.

Gary Talbot, who was handcuffed in the dock, did not apply for bail and was remanded into custody but his wife, who sat with her head bowed throughout the 20-minute hearing, also in handcuffs, had bail granted by District Judge Eamon King.

But she was also remanded into custody as the prosecution intend to appeal his decision in the High Court in Belfast.

That appeal is likely to be heard this morning.

A detective constable said that police objected to Mrs Talbot being freed amid fears that she would interfere with the investigation.

She told the court the couple’s home was initially searched last October when a number of devices, computers and a laptop were seized, adding that in a separate investigation, Gary Talbot is being investigated over indecent images of children.

The officer revealed that when the devices were examined, “a number of digital images were found which clearly show Gary and Heather Talbot engaging in sexual activity with a child two-four years old at their home address”.

The pair were arrested last Tuesday, and in his interviews Gary Talbot admitted “making a collection of sexy videos ... admitted rape, sexually assaulting and gross indecency with the child”.

He further confessed, the court heard, “that his wife was present” during some incidents and “could’ve taken some of the photos,” some of which he distributed to “like-minded individuals in chat rooms”.

“At this stage we have already obtained evidence that they have distributed material through chat logs on the computer, however there are further forensics examinations being carried out on the devices which we have seized,” said the detective.

Turning to Heather Talbot’s interviews, the officer said she had “never seen the child before” but when shown the photographic evidence, did admit the girl had been at their home.

“She has stated that she had gone with her husband to purchase the dressing up outfits for the victim and that he had discussed with her prior to that that he had fantasised about children,” said the detective.

Heather Talbot had also admitted to “dressing the victim for her husband” but claimed she left the room so “did not know what happened after that between her husband and the victim”.

The defendant further claimed many of the images were “innocent” with some taken when the girl was “just out of the bath”.

In relation to chat logs found on the couple’s computer, the detective said Mrs Talbot admitted she had accessed “adult swinging websites with her husband and would use fake names on the sites”, but claimed the logs where there were discussions about the sexual abuse of children “were all written by her husband or that he had distributed the images, not her”.

Asked by Judge King what attitude the police had to her bail application, the officer told the judge police feared that if freed, “she will interfere with witnesses” and potentially commit further offences.

She said there was evidence the couple had distributed images and had been “communicating with like-minded individuals on the dark web,” further revealing that police had found a six-page document of a “very concerning nature”.

The officer agreed with the prosecuting lawyer the hand-written document contained “further graphic details of the abuse of other children” and also told the lawyer police feared for the safety of the defendant herself if freed given the strong public feelings for allegations of this nature.

Her defence solicitor submitted that Mrs Talbot could be freed, albeit with numerous bail conditions, given her clear record.

While the judge remanded Gary Talbot into custody to appear again on March 1 via video link, he said he would free his wife on her own bail of £750 but with numerous conditions in that she must live at a police-approved address and barring her from having any contact with a child, contacting any witness or her husband, and imposing a prohibition on any electronic device which could access the internet.

Following that ruling, however, the PPS lawyer said he was giving formal oral notice the prosecution intended to appeal that decision to the High Court and would undertake to lodge the paperwork within the two hours allowed.