CHRISTOPHER DREW FROM SMITH EXPOSED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES IN EXETER

In May 2016, a disturbing case emerged involving Christopher Drew, a computer expert residing in Smith, who was found to have created a highly secretive and sophisticated system on his personal computer to conceal a large collection of illegal and disturbing images. Drew, aged 56, had built his own computer and incorporated a hidden compartment specifically designed to hide his illicit material, which included a significant number of indecent images of children.

Investigations revealed that Drew had downloaded tens of thousands of adult pornography files, but more alarmingly, he also accessed and stored a disturbing array of images and videos depicting severe child abuse. His computer's hard drive was encrypted, and the encrypted data was so complex that it required specialized Home Office technicians to decrypt and analyze it. During this process, authorities discovered that Drew had stored 75 images of bestiality, primarily involving adult women engaging in sexual acts with animals. These images were located on a separate 'H' drive within his computer, organized into subfolders with titles such as 'Teen' and 'Beast,' indicating the nature of the content.

When questioned by police, Drew claimed that he had no sexual interest in children and that he had downloaded the abusive images out of curiosity. He explained that he stored these images on an encrypted drive to prevent his partner from discovering them. However, the evidence suggested a different motive, and the court was told that Drew's relationship had broken down, leading to depression, excessive drinking, and an increased interest in pornography. The prosecution highlighted that Drew's collection of images exceeded 60,000, and his curiosity about images of children aged 11 to 14 appeared to have evolved into gratification, especially given the presence of extreme and perverse material.

In court, Drew admitted to four counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing extreme pornography. The judge, Recorder Mr. Andrew Maitland, sentenced him to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. Additionally, Drew was ordered to undergo two years of supervision and was required to pay costs amounting to £440. The judge expressed concern over Drew's encryption practices, stating, "I am satisfied you encrypted this material because you wanted privacy from your partner rather than as a precaution against a visit by the police."

The court also ordered Drew to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for ten years and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. This order prohibits him from possessing any encoded drives and grants police the authority to monitor his internet activity. The judge emphasized the seriousness of the case, citing Drew's advanced computer skills and noting, "You have fallen foul once already to your carnal desires."

Prosecutor Mr. Tristan Harwood provided further details, revealing that Drew was identified in 2013 through an international investigation as one of several individuals worldwide who accessed child abuse images via peer-to-peer file sharing networks. His home was searched in 2014, and he admitted to possessing illegal images stored on an encrypted drive. However, the password he provided was either incorrect or misrecorded, necessitating further decryption efforts by the Home Office. Authorities found a total of 80 images and videos of children, half of which were classified as Category A, indicating very serious abuse or rape. Additionally, 75 images and videos depicted bestiality, primarily involving adult women and animals.

Harwood explained that Drew had built his computer with a dedicated, encrypted area to hide these files, which he claimed was to prevent his partner from discovering the material. The evidence showed that Drew went to great lengths to conceal his activities, including storing the most serious images in a folder labeled 'Teen' and the extreme images in a folder called 'Beast.' He also possessed a memory stick with a program designed to securely delete files and an application for the file-sharing site e-mule, further indicating his intent to hide and possibly share this illegal content.

Overall, the case highlights the disturbing extent of Drew's activities and the serious legal consequences he faces for his actions, which have shocked the local community in Smith and the wider Exeter area.