CHRISTOPHER BOOTH FROM ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ESCAPES JAIL AFTER CHILD ABUSE IMAGE SCANDAL

In May 2014, a disturbing case emerged involving Christopher Booth, a 20-year-old resident of Glebe Road in Royal Wootton Bassett, who was found to have downloaded and stored an alarming number of child abuse images. The investigation revealed that Booth had amassed hundreds of indecent images, including photographs depicting toddlers being subjected to sexual assault, alongside extreme adult pornography. Despite the severity of these findings, Booth was not sentenced to immediate imprisonment.

During the proceedings at Swindon Crown Court, prosecutor Colin Meeke detailed how police officers, while investigating other matters, seized Booth’s computers and storage devices in June 2012. Upon examination, authorities discovered numerous folders filled with vile and disturbing images and videos. These materials included photographs of children as young as 18 months being abused, highlighting the heinous nature of the material stored on Booth’s devices.

In total, investigators identified 1,089 indecent images of children on Booth’s computer, which had been saved, deleted, or stored in unallocated clusters. The police explained that their counting process often stops once a certain threshold is reached in a particular category to expedite the investigation. Additionally, Booth had created lewd collages involving local schoolboys, although officials clarified that these collages did not constitute a criminal offense but were indicative of his troubling proclivities.

Booth pleaded guilty to charges related to possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography. His defense attorney, Tim Greaves, presented a letter from Booth’s father, revealing that the young man had not disclosed the full extent of his offending to his family. Greaves explained that the criminal activity spanned four years, beginning when Booth was just 15 years old. Since his arrest in 2012, Booth had kept his actions secret, only confiding in others in recent days. The lawyer emphasized that Booth hails from a “respectable and hard-working family” and expressed concern that his employment as a database director at Virgin Media could be jeopardized.

In addressing the court, Recorder Nicholas Atkinson QC acknowledged the gravity of Booth’s actions. He stated, “Many of the images you saved are dreadful sexual images of children. It is often unclear whether they are purely sexual or simply perverted, sadistic, and cruel. The harm inflicted on these children is profound, both physically and psychologically, and the effects can be long-lasting.” The judge condemned the viewing habits of Booth, noting that such behavior fuels the creation of more harmful material and perpetuates suffering among victims. He concluded by sentencing Booth to a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years, coupled with supervision and participation in a sex offenders’ treatment program, thereby avoiding immediate imprisonment but imposing strict conditions for his rehabilitation.