Hundreds arrested, charged or cautioned over child porn allegations by West Mercia Police
The police force that covers Shropshire has arrested, cautioned or charged hundreds of people over alleged offences regarding indecent images of children in the past five years, new figures have revealed.
Nearly 800 people were arrested by West Mercia Police in connection with the child pornography allegations between 2011 and 2015, with 44 cautions handed out and 341 individuals charged with offences or summoned to court.
No-one from the force was available to comment on the figures today.
The largest number of arrests – accounting for almost half of the total figure – involved people suspected of possessing indecent photographs.
More than 170 people were also charged or summoned to court over the alleged offence.
There were 316 people arrested last year in connection with child pornography allegations – up from 176 in 2014.
The number of people arrested for such crimes has risen every year since 2011, with 89 arrests made in 2011, 105 in 2012 and 111 in 2013.
But the number of those charged and brought before the courts fell from 96 in 2014 to 67 last year.
Other offences have included people being accused of making, taking or showing indecent photographs of children, distributing indecent images of children and possessing prohibited images of children.
A total of 13 youths were among those who received cautions for their behaviour over the past five years, according to the figures which were released following a Freedom of Information request.
Cases brought to Shrewsbury Crown Court earlier this month included Christopher Fenn who was found with more than 50 images of children on his computer.
The 29-year-old, of The Common, Gatacre Park, Bridgnorth, admitted possessing 53 indecent images and three movies of children.
He was placed on the sex offenders register for five years and was banned for life from working with children and young people.
He was also ordered to take part in a sex offender's programme and to pay costs of £250.
Matthew Evans, 24, of Bicton Heath, Shrewsbury, admitted 15 charges, including causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and distributing indecent images.
He was jailed for three years and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for six years.
The law places indecent images of children into three categories, from A to C, with A being the most serious and carrying the most severe penalties for offenders.
Those convicted of such offences may also be made to sign the sex offenders register.
Helen Blake, West Mercia Police spokeswoman, said: "An indecent image of a child is a young person in a real situation, being horrifically abused.
"Offenders should be in no doubt that they are perpetuating the child's suffering by making, distributing, and possessing indecent images.
"Use of technology and intelligence enables police to identify these people and the digital footprint they leave, in order to execute warrants to secure evidence and ensure offenders are brought to justice."
