A 41-year-old man, Shaun Scotthorne of Runnymede Green, Middlesborough, has been sentenced to 26 months in prison following his conviction for possessing indecent images of children. The sentencing took place at Southampton Crown Court on Monday, September 18, and was accompanied by the issuance of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Additionally, Scotthorne will be required to register his details with the police indefinitely in accordance with the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
The case stemmed from a hearing at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, June 13, where Scotthorne pleaded guilty to one count of taking an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child and three counts of making an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child.
Police arrested Scotthorne at an address in Southampton in June 2021 on suspicion of the aforementioned offences and subsequently seized two phones and a memory card from him. Officers from Hampshire Constabulary’s Internet Child Abuse Team (ICAT) conducted a thorough analysis of the seized devices, revealing hundreds of images depicting child abuse.
The disturbing contents included 137 Category C images, 53 Category B images, and 64 Category A images, which represent the most serious category. In addition to these, five extreme images and 57 prohibited images were discovered.
A/Detective Sergeant Angela Smith-Jones, who led the investigation, emphasised the severity of such crimes, stating, “Behind every indecent image of a child is a vulnerable victim, and these crimes are among the most appalling that we investigate.” She further highlighted that Scotthorne’s actions clearly posed a risk to children and expressed satisfaction that he would serve time in prison for his offences. Moreover, strict conditions will be imposed on Scotthorne through his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Detective Sergeant Smith-Jones stressed the commitment of law enforcement to tackling online viewing of indecent images and safeguarding children online, emphasising that bringing offenders to justice remains a top priority for the police.
