Civil Servant Caught Watching and Trading Sick Child Abuse Videos – Offended Twice on Bail
A civil servant busted for online child sexual abuse didn’t stop when cops first swooped. Richard Arcari, 37, a press officer, kept committing vile offences while on bail.
Arrested with Horrifying Trove of Images
Arcari was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in February 2017 after intelligence revealed he watched a video of a man raping a boy. Officers found he had even offered to swap videos with other paedophiles.
His iPad was seized and revealed hundreds of child abuse images and videos – the sick collection was just the start.
Caught Again Using Online Streaming Rooms
On 7 March 2018, the National Crime Agency (NCA) nabbed Arcari again. They found him in a secret online conferencing room streaming child abuse while using the name ‘FitPrvUK’.
He’d also bought a new laptop full of abuse materials. Arcari claimed crystal meth made him forget what he watched – a weak excuse.
Just 17 days later, NCA swooped once more. Arcari had switched online names to “TabBoy” and was commenting during live streams of abuse. Officers found a laptop and iPhone packed with vile images.
Employer Flags Suspicious Data, Police Find More Abuse
In September 2018, Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) reported an unauthorised memory stick with suspicious file titles during a routine security check.
The NCA searched Arcari’s home again. He handed over a USB stick and his work laptop, both loaded with child abuse materials.
Shocking Scale of Offences and Sentence
- 716 category A (most serious) abuse images/videos
- 588 category B stills and videos
- 344 category C stills and videos
Arcari pleaded guilty to 22 charges, including making and possessing indecent images, owning extreme pornographic content, class A drugs possession, and encouraging crime.
Today, at Inner London Crown Court, he was jailed for 42 months. He’s on the sex offenders register for life and slapped with a sexual harm prevention order that restricts his internet use.
“The evidence showed Arcari was visiting online conference rooms to watch child abuse from as far back as November 2015,” said NCA operations manager Graham Ellis.
“Even after arrest and on bail, he carried on offending. Every time footage is replayed or shared again, that child is revictimised. Protecting children is our top priority.”
The NCA warns that child abuse crimes are worsening in scale and severity, demanding relentless action to stop these predators.
