GORSE HILL MAN BARRY SALMON SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN SWINDON

In August 2014, a man from Gorse Hill, Swindon, was sentenced to two years in prison after admitting to possessing an extensive collection of child abuse images and videos on his personal computer. Barry Salmon, aged 52 and residing on Edinburgh Street, was found to have nearly 70,000 indecent images and videos depicting child pornography stored on his device. The authorities also uncovered that Salmon had engaged in the distribution of these illicit materials and possessed eight images related to bestiality, further compounding the severity of his offenses.

Salmon’s criminal activities came to light after police investigations traced his online presence. The investigation was initiated when Salmon posted images on a photo-sharing website, which allowed law enforcement to track his IP address and identify him as the source. He maintained an account on this platform, where he not only uploaded images but also commented on other users’ pictures, indicating an active engagement with the content.

Further examination revealed that Salmon had downloaded the illegal images from the website itself, as well as through peer-to-peer file-sharing technology installed on his computer. This technology facilitated both the acquisition and distribution of the illicit material. The police seized a computer and an external hard drive belonging to Salmon during their investigation. It was also disclosed that Salmon was previously employed at AE Smith Funeral Directors.

The material found on Salmon’s devices was particularly disturbing, including over 1,000 images depicting the most severe forms of abuse, such as infants under six months old. The majority of the images involved girls aged between six and early teens. During police interviews, Salmon admitted that he downloaded these images for sexual gratification, revealing a preference for children aged between 10 and 12 years old.

Legal representatives for Salmon argued in his defense that his family, who were unaware of his criminal activities, would suffer if he were imprisoned. His wife, who is disabled, relies heavily on him, and the defense contended that a custodial sentence would cause significant hardship. However, the presiding judge, Judge Douglas Field, emphasized the gravity of the offense and the need for justice. He stated, “You are a man of 52 and until today you were a man of good character who has worked hard his entire life. But this is a very serious offence. You had 200 hours of movies and images of babies being abused. It would be wrong for me to ignore the guidelines and not send you to jail.”

As part of the sentence, Salmon’s computer and external hard drive will be destroyed to prevent further distribution or access to the illegal material. The case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement in Swindon to combat child exploitation and bring offenders to justice.