CHRISTOPHER BUSHELL OF WEST WICKHAM ESCAPES JAIL IN NOVEMBER 2011 CASE

In November 2011, Christopher Bushell of Birch Tree Avenue, West Wickham, was spared imprisonment after admitting to child pornography offences, which included possessing images of infants.

Bushell, aged 44, was found with 101 indecent images of children on his computer. His case came to the attention of the Metropolitan Police's paedophile unit after a tip-off from their counterparts in Germany. Authorities in Germany identified Bushell's internet protocol address, linking him to the illicit images.

During a search of Bushell’s home, officers seized a hard drive, a computer tower, and three external hard drives. These devices contained various images, including seven depicting a baby girl less than a year old.

Bushell had previously pleaded guilty to 14 counts of making indecent photographs of children along with one charge of possessing such images.

In court, his defence lawyer, Natalie Sherborn, highlighted Bushell’s complex background, describing him as “a man with a complex set of difficulties both physical and psychological” and referencing his “harrowing background.”

The hearing at Southwark Crown Court revealed that Bushell was taken into care at the age of five after suffering neglect and abuse by his mother.

Bushell received a nine-month prison sentence, which was suspended for two years. Judge Stephen Robbins stated, “If it were not for the contents of the psychiatric report, you would be serving a sentence of custody like others in your situation.”

Additionally, he was ordered to undergo two years of supervision and mental health treatment and has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.