BRIAN GILLATT AND ROBERT SOUTER FROM HIPPERHOLME AND ELLAND JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES CRIMES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the communities of Elland and Hipperholme, two men have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in possessing and downloading a large number of indecent images and movies depicting child abuse. The court proceedings, held at Bradford Crown Court, revealed the extent of their crimes and the disturbing nature of the material they had in their possession.

Robert Souter, a 25-year-old former classroom assistant from Dewsbury Road, Elland, was sentenced to eight months in prison after admitting to possessing nearly 100 movies that showed children being sexually abused. His arrest last year led to the loss of his job at a local primary school. During the court hearing, it was disclosed that Souter had downloaded these films onto his MacBook computer. In addition to the movies, he also possessed photographs of schoolchildren wearing bathing suits on his iPhone. Although the images on his phone were not indecent, the court heard that Souter had found them through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, which added a disturbing dimension to his case.

Judge Roger Thomas QC, the Recorder of Bradford, described Souter’s possession of these images as “a disturbing background” to the case. Souter admitted to possessing 90 indecent movies at the most serious level, along with more than 120 other images and videos. After his arrest, he expressed remorse to the police, stating that he was “very sorry” for his actions and described himself as “a hypocrite” because he knew he should have behaved differently.

Represented by solicitor advocate Mark Watterson, Souter’s defense highlighted that he was a young man with no previous convictions who had understandably lost his employment due to his actions. Despite the remorse, the court sentenced him to eight months in prison, emphasizing the seriousness of his crimes.

Alongside Souter, the court also sentenced 47-year-old Brian Gillatt of Maltings, Hipperholme, who was also arrested last year following police investigations based on received information. Gillatt, who has a prior conviction from his time living in Holland, admitted to possessing more than 28,000 indecent images and movies. The court noted that the majority of these images were at the lowest level of seriousness, but the sheer volume of material was alarming.

Judge Thomas stated that both men had been caught last year with images of “a very vile and indecent nature” on their devices. The court emphasized that this was not a case of casual or accidental downloading; rather, both men actively sought out this foul material. Despite their serious offenses, each man will not be required to register as a sex offender with the police for the next 10 years. Additionally, they will be subject to indefinite sexual harm prevention orders, which are designed to protect the public from potential future harm.

Both sentences serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat the distribution and possession of child abuse images, and the court’s decision underscores the gravity with which such crimes are viewed in the UK.