ANTHONY FENTON OF FULHAM SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AT SOUTHWARK CROWN COURT

In September 2009, Anthony Fenton, a 57-year-old resident of Bishops Road in Fulham, faced serious criminal charges related to the possession of a vast collection of indecent images of children. The case was heard at Southwark Crown Court, where Fenton was found to have accumulated an alarming total of 55,000 such images over a span of four years. These images were stored across hundreds of CDs, some of which were classified as level four and five, indicating the most severe categories of child abuse material. The court was informed that Fenton’s collection included photographs depicting serious acts of child exploitation, raising significant concerns about the potential harm and the severity of his offenses.

Further details revealed that Fenton had previously been cautioned in 2006 for a separate incident involving secretly filming girls’ skirts on an escalator at Topshop in Oxford Street. Additionally, authorities discovered a bag containing women’s underwear stored within a filing cabinet at his residence, suggesting a pattern of inappropriate and potentially predatory behavior.

During the proceedings, Fenton’s defense attorney, Lewis Power, explained that his client had been suffering from severe psychosexual difficulties, which he attributed to treatment for Hodgkin’s disease, a form of cancer. The defense also highlighted that Fenton’s physical relationship with his partner had ended, implying personal struggles that may have contributed to his actions. The court was also told that Fenton had lost his job as a concierge at an office building in Mayfair, and was currently living on benefits while being burdened with approximately £7,500 in debt.

Judge James Wadsworth, presiding over the case, delivered a sentence that reflected the gravity of the crimes but also took into account Fenton’s health condition. The judge expressed his concern about the nature of the images, stating, “It is always disturbing when one sees level five or even level four images. I find it again disturbing that not only you, but also your doctor, expressed a view that you were not a risk to others.” He emphasized the danger posed by such material, noting, “Everyone who lays hands or eyes on level four or five images is endangering small children who are taken and abused for the purpose of satisfying that desire.”

Despite the severity of the content, Judge Wadsworth acknowledged Fenton’s health issues and the passive nature of his image use. He stated, “I bear in mind two things, firstly that you are quite seriously ill and secondly that your image use is passive.” As a result, the judge suspended Fenton’s 10-month prison sentence for two years, instead opting for a more lenient approach. Fenton was also ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and to participate in a sex offenders’ treatment program, reflecting the court’s concern for both public safety and the individual’s rehabilitation.