CHRISTOPHER BROWN'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN SOUTHAM AND WARWICK CROWN COURT REVEAL DISTURBING PAST

In June 2019, a man from Southam named Christopher Brown faced a significant legal setback when he was handed a new suspended prison sentence after breaching a court order related to his previous convictions. Brown, aged 30 and residing at Ploughman’s Holt, had previously been convicted of possessing indecent images of children and other related offenses. Despite his efforts to comply with court mandates, he was found to have violated the terms of his sexual harm prevention order, which required him to disclose any devices capable of internet connection to his offender manager.

The breach occurred when officers visited Brown’s residence on April 10, and during their investigation, he denied possessing any undisclosed items. However, a subsequent search uncovered a tablet stored in a cupboard under the stairs. Brown claimed that the device was a Christmas gift from his father, and he had delayed disclosing it because he believed it was too late to do so. This failure to report the tablet constituted a breach of the court order and the conditions of his suspended sentence.

Prosecutor Tim Sapwell explained that under the terms of the sexual harm prevention order, Brown was legally obliged to inform his offender manager of any device capable of internet access and to make such devices available for inspection. The court heard that Brown had previously been convicted of exposure in 2016, after he exposed himself to women passing his home, resulting in a ten-week suspended sentence. Later, in June 2017, he received a 12-month suspended sentence for possessing hundreds of indecent images of young girls, some as young as five, on his phone. Brown admitted that he had not intentionally searched for this material but had started receiving it through a social media group that shared adult pornography.

Despite the breach, the court noted that Brown had been engaging well with the terms of his suspended sentence, and the Probation Service was willing to continue working with him. Judge Peter Cooke, after reviewing a progress report, decided against activating the suspended sentence, stating, “Activating it now would be counter-productive.” He imposed an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, along with a fine of £200 and a requirement to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. The judge emphasized the importance of rehabilitation and noted that Brown’s compliance thus far was a positive sign.

In a related case from July of the previous year, Brown’s disturbing history was further highlighted. He had engaged in a series of offenses, including an incident where he exposed himself and shouted at women passing his Southam home, which resulted in a ten-week suspended sentence. Additionally, police discovered hundreds of indecent images of young girls, some as young as five, on his phone after a series of text exchanges with a 14-year-old girl. Although no charges were filed directly related to the texts due to lack of cooperation, the images were found stored in a Dropbox account, indicating deliberate saving despite their deletion from the device.

Brown’s history of offending also includes a previous conviction for exposure in 2016, and he continues to have supervised contact with his five-year-old daughter, who was only 18 months old when his relationship with her mother ended. During sentencing, Recorder Kevin Hegarty QC expressed concern over the nature of Brown’s offenses, noting the troubling pattern of behavior and the potential impact on his young daughter. He remarked on the gravity of possessing such images and the importance of understanding the harm caused by these acts, especially given Brown’s role as a father. The court’s decisions reflect ongoing efforts to balance rehabilitation with the seriousness of his crimes, emphasizing the need for continued supervision and intervention.