ANDREW MATTHEWS FROM BREIGHTMET SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IMAGES IN BOLTON

In a case that has drawn significant attention, 54-year-old Andrew Matthews, a resident of Breightmet, was brought before Bolton Crown Court to face charges related to the possession of indecent images of children. The incident dates back to August 2014, when Matthews was found to have accessed and downloaded such illicit material via the internet.

On November 14, 2014, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Matthews' residence on Beechcroft Avenue in Breightmet. During the raid, they seized his personal laptop, which was later subjected to forensic analysis by specialists. The examination revealed that Matthews had stored seven images classified as Category A, indicating the most explicit and severe type of child abuse imagery. Additionally, four other images were identified as Category C, which are considered less severe but still illegal.

Initially, Matthews denied any involvement or possession of these images when questioned by police. However, as the investigation progressed, he eventually admitted to making and possessing indecent images of children, leading to formal charges being brought against him.

During the sentencing hearing, Recorder Abigail Hudson addressed Matthews directly, emphasizing the seriousness of his actions. She noted that Matthews was presented as a man of good character, which made his conduct particularly troubling. The judge pointed out that although Matthews claimed to have no interest in children, his actions—downloading and viewing such images—indicated otherwise. She remarked, “You have a problem that you need to deal with,” highlighting the need for intervention.

As part of his sentence, Matthews was sentenced to four months in prison, but this term was suspended for 12 months, meaning he would not serve time unless he committed another offence within that period. Furthermore, he was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid community work and will be under supervision for a year to monitor his conduct.

In addition, a sexual harm prevention order was issued, restricting Matthews’ contact with children and limiting his access to computers and the internet. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for a period of seven years, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions to prevent further offending.