SHROPSHIRE MAN WHO DOWNLOADED OVER 25,000 INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN WILL NOT GO TO JAIL
A SHROPSHIRE man who downloaded more than 25,000 indecent images of children has been told he will not go to jail.Charles Ratcliffe, 59, committed “sickening crimes”, by downloading thousands of images of children being sexually abused or taking part in sexual acts over a 10-year period.
The offences took place between April 6, 2011, and June 15, 2021, during which time Ratcliffe amassed 26,453 images of children, of a Category C nature.
Police officers attended his home, in Knockin Heath, near Oswestry, in May 2022, and Ratcliffe showed them the images, which were contained on two mobile phones, a laptop, and a hard drive.
He appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday, November 6, after previously admitting two charges of making indecent images of children.
He pleaded not guilty to two more charges, which were ordered to lie on file.
The prosecutor, Alexa Carrier, stated that police seized two mobile phones, a hard drive, and a laptop, as well as a printed image of a child’s genitals and a picture of three schoolgirls.
Some images were accessible, while others were encrypted or inaccessible.
Ratcliffe claimed he looked at the images five or six years ago, sometimes masturbating to them, and that he no longer viewed them.
His defense argued that he only looked at Category C images, was genuinely ashamed, and that he would not reoffend.
The judge described the crimes as “shameful” and emphasized that children are exploited and abused through such images.
To avoid prison, Ratcliffe was given a two-year community order, including rehabilitation activity days, an alcohol abstinence monitoring program, and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements for five years.
Devices containing the images and cannabis were ordered to be forfeited, and he was fined a surcharge.
