Man sentenced for having indecent images - five years after police investigation started

Watts, of Trevarthian Road, St Austell, Cornwall, but formerly of Smallbrook Road, Whitchurch, pleaded guilty to four offences – two counts of possessing a prohibited image of a child, and two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals.

Syed Ahmed, prosecuting, said that police had began investigating in March 2019 when they were alerted to a user profile on social media, which had been part of a group sharing the images.

In August 2020 a search of Watts' property was carried out and police found two devices containing images and videos – an iPad and a mobile telephone.

Across both devices officers found around 600 prohibited images, as well as a number of extreme images and videos involving animals.

The court was told that the images included a picture of a child being sexually abused.

Watts was interviewed by police and admitted the offences on August 28 of 2020.

He was subsequently interviewed again by police in July 2023, before being charged with the offences in March of this year.

Alexa Carrier, mitigating, said the case had been subject to a "significant delay".

She said: "Police were notified of these offences five years ago. He made full admissions when police arrested him in 2020 – yet it is 2024 when it comes before the court."

Ms Carrier added that there had been "no explanation" for that delay and the case had been "hanging over his head" during a time in which he had been to university.

She said he had taken accountability for his actions but had struggled with his mental health, and was making progress with a suspected diagnosis of autism and anxiety.

She added: "There is just no reason it should have taken five years, particularly when it is full admission in interview."

Ms Carrier said that Watts had no previous convictions, and none since the offences.

She added that there was a "clear naivety" to the offending, with Watts having signed up to the social media account using an e-mail address with his own name and date of birth.

Sentencing, Judge Peter Barrie said: "I have to deal with you for the possession of quite a large number of indecent, prohibited and extreme images.

"You had joined a group which made a practice of sharing them and that is serious, and seriously wrong.

"I accept you were only 17 when most of this happened, although the period of the charges tips into when you were 18.

"I acknowledge that the police first became interested in this in March 2019 and it is more than five years for you to come before me to be sentenced.

"Covid notwithstanding I do agree with Ms Carrier that is a period of delay which is very difficult to justify and must have had an impact on your self confidence and wellbeing.

"Nonetheless I have to say I have to recognise it was serious behaviour, but balanced against the fact there is no evidence you have offended again in the last five years."

He added: "You have learned your lesson and matured and have grown up since 2019 and it is not necessary to punish you in any more serious way given the delay there has been in bringing this matter before the court."

Watts was given a community order to last for 24 months, with a requirement to complete 10 rehabilitation activity days, and attend an accredited sexual offenders programme.