'We don't want to live next to a paedophile'
NEIGHBOURS have launched a campaign to stop a convicted child sex offender returning to the street where he lives on his release from prison.
David Pochwyt was jailed for a year last month after being caught performing a sex act on a webcam believing an 11-year-old girl was watching.
The 45-year-old of Leacroft Road, Meir, was arrested after police conducted a covert operation on people talking with children in chatrooms.
The officers claimed to be an 11-year-old girl and Pochwyt contacted her via the internet on numerous occasions.
Pochwyt, who was put on the sex offenders' register for 10 years, was also made the subject of a sexual offences order which bans him from accessing the internet, except for work, and having any unsupervised contact with females aged under 18.
But his neighbours do not want him returning to Leacroft Road when he is released from prison in May.
Louise Grant, who lives next door to Pochwyt with her 11-month-old son Mason, is petitioning for him to be moved out of the area.
The 23-year-old full-time mum said: "I don't want to live next door to a paedophile when I have a baby.
"I rang Stoke-on-Trent City Council to see if he can be moved, but was told they can't make him move as he's lived there for a while and hasn't breached his tenancy or caused any threat."
Mother-of-two Charlotte Roberts is helping Louise gather signatures.
The 26-year-old, who lives opposite Pochwyt, said: "I've got two girls aged one and seven and he can see straight into my house and garden from his.
"I wouldn't feel comfortable letting my children play in the garden."
A Staffordshire Probation Service spokesman said: "Sex offenders are dealt with by public protection arrangements on their release.
"This means agencies including the police, probation service and council meet and make recommendations as to how the person should be managed, including where they should live."
Councillor John Daniels, cabinet member for housing, said: "The agencies involved would meet to decide the best way to re-accommodate someone.
"They then decide what circumstances will influence that accommodation and take appropriate steps."
The wider issue: Page 4; Comment: Page 10
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by Trudi, originally from meir
Saturday, March 27 2010, 7:31PM
“these ladies should photocopy this list of signitures before handing them over because it will be claimed that they were not recieved and if he is let out to live back in the same house it's god help him the community of meir doesn't look like it's a close one but they do stand together when it comes to things like this”
by lesley, stoke
Thursday, March 25 2010, 11:08AM
“Just to pull up the point about helping these people... the man who Rob referred to was the man who abducted my daughter.
He had been imprisoned on previous occasions for abusing his daughter, and he was on license for another offence against an adult male with learning difficulties when he took my little girl.
The sentencing report stated that he had 'successfully' completed 2 rehab programs in prison, previous to abducting my daughter.
Great success eh ???
He's due for release in a few weeks................”
by anon, sot, stoke
Thursday, March 25 2010, 11:06AM
“Just to pull up the point about helping these people... the man who Rob referred to was the man who abducted my daughter.
He had been imprisoned on previous occasions for abusing his daughter, and he was on license for another offence against an adult male with learning difficulties when he took my little girl.
The sentencing report stated that he had 'successfully' completed 2 rehab programs in prison, previous to abducting my daughter.
Great success eh ???
He's due for release in a few weeks................”
by laura, meir
Tuesday, March 23 2010, 10:52PM
“i have actually signed this petition, until the lady knocked on my door the other night i had no idea such a pervert lived so close to me I have three children a six year old daughter a four year old son and baby boy and i think it's disgraceful that a paedophille is allowed back into an area which is full of children the area in which we live is between three schools and there is a playground due to be built opposite my house, a playground which my children will not be using because of the dangers of letting my children outside of my garden. What kind of world do we live in when the criminals have more rights than those law abiding citizens around 80% of paedophilles go on to re offend and the vast majority go on to commit worse crimes paedophilles have a compulsion to commit child abuse, this compulsion is a stronger force than any court order can control, why put them in temptations way? is it not enough that they must be allowed into the wider community?”
by Warren, Meir
Tuesday, March 23 2010, 6:46PM
“And as for the call for castration, if only takes away the means of doinging something, it by no means removes the urgeings that drive these dirty scum on, they may in-fact do far more depraved things without the means to satisfiy there sick wantings. I wish people would think more about comments, it makes for very weak debate at times. Life inprisonment, no tariff, no parole, in they go and only come out in a coffin, after a natural death.”