A former Tory councillor who drugged and raped his ex-wife has admitted making indecent images of children.
Father‑of‑three Philip Young previously pleaded guilty to 48 sex offences, including repeatedly raping his former wife Joanne Young, 48, over a 13-year period.
He had denied eight child abuse and extreme porn charges. But today, Young backtracked and changed his plea to guilty via a videolink at Winchester Crown Court from HMP Winchester.
Wearing a grey prison-issue T-shirt, he pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child, and four charges of possessing extreme pornographic images.
The court heard the offences related to 230 child abuse images and took place between 2010 and 2024.
It means that the former councillor has admitted all 56 offences against him.
Earlier this year, Young admitted 48 offences against his ex-wife, Ms Young, who can be named after she bravely waived her right to anonymity.
She was present to witness her former spouse admit his crimes against her in January, supported by her sister and a member of Witness Support.
Father‑of‑three Philip Youn who drugged and raped his ex-wife Joanne for a period of 13 years has pleaded guilty to eight child abuse and extreme porn charges
Earlier this year, Joanne Young (pictured) admitted 48 offences against his ex-wife Ms Young, who can be named after she bravely waived her right to anonymity
The disgraced business consultant admitted to 11 counts of rape, seven charges of sexual assault and four counts of sexual touching, all involving his ex-wife
The disgraced business consultant admitted to 11 counts of rape, seven charges of sexual assault and four counts of sexual touching, all involving his ex-wife.
Young also admitted to raping his wife between April and May 2022.
He also admitted to multiple counts of ‘voyeurism’ including secretly recording his unsuspecting wife during ‘private acts’ more than 200 times for his sexual gratification between January 2010 and July 2024.
Young also pleaded guilty to publishing ‘obscene’ material – including non-consensual intimate photographs and videos of Ms Young – more than 500 times.
He had served as a Conservative Swindon Borough Councillor for Covingham and Nythe between 2007 and 2010, rising to be a cabinet member.
But in 2010 – the year when the abuse is believed to have begun – Young announced he was stepping down in order to spend more time with his family.
Young was a Conservative Swindon Borough Councillor for Covingham and Nythe between 2007 and 2010.
Five other men have previously appeared in court charged with sexual offences against Mrs Young.
Dean Hamilton, 47, of no fixed abode has admitted one charge of assault by penetration, two of sexual assault and one of rape.
Norman Macksoni, 48, of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, has denied one count of rape and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image.
Richard Wilkins, 61, of Swindon, Wiltshire has denied one count of rape and one of assault by penetration.
Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 31, of Swindon has denied sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault.
Mohammed Hassan, 37, also of Swindon, has denied sexual touching.
Macksoni, Wilkins, Sanderson-Doyle and Hassan are due to stand trial on October 5.
Norman Macksoni, 47, of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, arrives at Winchester Crown Court in January – he is charged with one count of rape and possession an extreme pornographic image
Dean Hamilton, 47, has admitted one charge of assault by penetration, two of sexual assault and one of rape
Richard Wilkins, 61, of Toothill, Swindon, arrives at Winchester Crown Court in January – he is charged with one count of rape
Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 31, of Swindon has denied sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault
Mohammed Hassan, 37, from Swindon, is charged with one count of sexual touching
Young was formerly a council cabinet member for culture, regeneration and economic development, but in 2010 he said he was stepping down to spend more time with family.
Six months earlier, he described how he helped deliver the couple’s third child at home minutes before paramedics could arrive. The couple have since split up.
Young has been involved in multiple consultancy businesses, including as a director, and describes himself online as an ‘experienced business leader’.
He is listed as the chief operating officer for a salesforce consultancy firm based in London. He joined the business in June 2023 with ’17 years’ experience in the ecosystem running his own partner consultancy’, according to his biography on the company website.
He previously worked on projects for household names including Aston Martin, Unilever, and BP.
Young graduated with a business studies degree from the University of Westminster in 1998, and previously went to school in Bishop’s Stortford.
