REDDITCH MAN ANDREW GREENFIELD CAUGHT WITH NEARLY 1,000 CHILD SEXUAL IMAGES IN REDDITCH AND WORCESTER
In June 2016, Andrew Greenfield, a resident of Sycamore Avenue in Redditch, was found guilty of possessing nearly 1,000 indecent images, predominantly of boys aged between nine and 15 years old.The case was heard at Worcester Crown Court, where the court heard that Greenfield, aged 53 at the time, had a history of denying responsibility for the images found on his devices.
According to the prosecution, police officers executed a search warrant at Greenfield’s family home on May 22, 2014.
During the search, they seized multiple computers, which Greenfield claimed had been purchased second-hand.
The authorities discovered that over a three-year period, starting from June 2011, Greenfield had downloaded a total of 983 images, including 51 classified as Category A, indicating the most severe level of abuse material.
Greenfield maintained that he was not responsible for the downloads, asserting that the images must have been present on the computers prior to his acquisition of them.
He argued that some of the devices on which the images were found were about to be discarded, and he suggested that the files might have been placed there through hacking.
Despite his claims, the jury found him guilty of six charges related to the possession of indecent images of children.
During the trial, Greenfield’s defense team, led by Alex Warren, highlighted that Greenfield had a limited and “pathetic” sex life, with his last relationship ending over two decades earlier.
They also pointed out that the images were located in files that had been deleted, and the devices containing them were not used regularly.
The court was told that Greenfield still resided at home with his parents.
Judge Anthony Lowe addressed Greenfield directly, emphasizing that his lack of sexual activity did not justify or excuse his actions.
The judge stated, “There must be a number of elderly bachelors who do not look at child pornography,” and made it clear that Greenfield’s denial was not acceptable.
The judge explained that viewing such images is driven by a desire for sexual gratification, which fuels the demand for the production of more material.
He warned that children are permanently harmed by such exploitation and that future generations could be similarly victimized.
Greenfield had been on bail for 25 months by the time of sentencing, and it had been a year since he was charged.
The court sentenced him to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, with conditions including supervision, mandatory attendance at a sex offenders’ program, and registration as a sex offender for ten years.
Additionally, Greenfield was subjected to an indefinite order restricting his use of computers.
In a related hearing, Greenfield, who also works for Mettis Aerospace and is described as a man of good character, faced further charges after police discovered nearly 6,000 images across three computers at his residence.
He claimed that the images must have been on the devices before he bought them or that they could have been hacked remotely.
The court was warned that a custodial sentence was highly likely, and Greenfield was remanded on bail pending sentencing scheduled for June 30, 2016, at which point all options, including imprisonment, would be considered.
