DENTON MAN ANTHONY GILLIGAN SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGE LIBRARY

In November 2020, a disturbing case emerged involving a man from Denton who was found to have maintained a disturbing collection of images depicting child abuse. Anthony Gilligan, aged 51 and residing on Blithfield Walk in Denton, was handed a sentence that, while suspended, underscored the severity of his crimes.

Gilligan was convicted of possessing a large number of illegal images, including 387 Category A images, which are considered the most serious, as well as 265 Category B images of children and 210 images classified as extreme pornography. These images depicted children being subjected to abuse, with some involving very young children, including toddlers aged between two and four years, being raped by adult males. Other images showed children under ten engaged in sexual acts, with the ages of the children in the material ranging from two to fifteen years old.

The offences spanned nearly a decade, from 2009 to 2018, and came to light after police investigations were initiated following reports that someone at Gilligan’s address was using computers to download such illicit material. Authorities executed a search warrant at his home, during which various electronic devices and equipment were seized. Subsequent examinations revealed the presence of indecent and illegal images stored on these devices.

Prosecutor David Bruce explained to the court that the majority of the illegal images were accessible on Gilligan’s computers and laptops, although some files were inaccessible. He noted that Gilligan had attempted to organize the images into folders, but there was no evidence to suggest that the images had been shared with others. The content of the images was particularly disturbing, with descriptions including a toddler being raped and a young girl having sex, emphasizing the heinous nature of the material.

Additionally, the illegal content included extreme pornography, such as sexual acts involving a woman and a dog, further highlighting the depravity of the material Gilligan possessed.

During the sentencing hearing at Minshull Street Manchester Crown Court, Alexandra Sutton, representing Gilligan, stated that her client had expressed remorse and apologized to the court. Judge John Potter acknowledged the gravity of the offences, noting that they exceeded the threshold for a custodial sentence. However, given Gilligan’s guilty plea, his employment status, and reports indicating good prospects for rehabilitation, the judge opted to impose a suspended sentence.

Judge Potter condemned Gilligan’s actions, emphasizing that although he was not shown to have directly abused a child, his possession of such images contributed to the ongoing abuse of children. The judge explained that the existence of such material fuels a market for child exploitation, and online searches by individuals like Gilligan facilitate the filming and photographing of child abuse for perverted gratification. The judge made it clear that such behavior causes real harm to children, and the law recognizes this harm.

While the standard custodial sentence for such offences was around 12 months, the judge considered increasing the sentence to two years due to the large volume of images, the young ages of the children involved, and the prolonged period during which the material was downloaded. Ultimately, Gilligan was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years. In addition to the prison sentence, Gilligan was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and to be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.

He was also mandated to complete a 25-day rehabilitation course, perform 150 hours of unpaid community service, and pay prosecution costs of £330. The court ordered the devices containing the illegal images to be forfeited and destroyed. Judge Potter warned Gilligan that any breach of these conditions would result in immediate imprisonment, emphasizing the seriousness of the case and the importance of compliance with the court’s orders.