WARNDON FATHER CHRISTOPHER SHEPPARD SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES IN WORCESTER

In February 2004, a disturbing case involving a father from Warndon has come to light, revealing the extent of his involvement in the possession and distribution of child pornography. Christopher Sheppard, a resident of Broadfield Gardens in Warndon, was found to have stored a total of 184 illicit images on his personal computer, specifically in a folder named "kiddoes."

The authorities uncovered these images during a police raid conducted at his Worcester home in November 2002. The investigation revealed that the images were categorized across different levels of graphic content, with 129 images classified as level one, indicating the least graphic material. Additionally, there were six images at level two, 48 at level three, and notably, one image at level four, which is considered the second most severe classification of child pornography.

During the court proceedings, Sheppard faced multiple charges. He admitted to 13 counts in total—12 related to making or downloading the images and one concerning possession. The charges stemmed from the police's discovery of the illicit material on his computers, which raised significant concern given the nature of the content.

Prosecutor Susan Cliff provided details about Sheppard’s initial claims, stating that he insisted he was only interested in adult and teenage pornography. However, after further investigation and re-interviewing, Sheppard admitted that he had accessed the sites out of curiosity and acknowledged that the images he viewed were not of teenagers but of younger children.

During sentencing at Worcester Magistrates Court, District Judge Bruce Morgan expressed his strong disapproval of Sheppard’s actions, emphasizing the widespread public revulsion towards such offenses. He highlighted the disturbing irony of Sheppard being a father himself, questioning what he might think if his own children were subjected to similar abuse. The judge underscored that childhood should be a time of happiness and innocence, but that individuals like Sheppard contribute to a demand for vile sexual exploitation of children.

In mitigation, defense lawyer Brian O’Connell argued that Sheppard, aged 28 at the time, had a previously good character. He pointed out that Sheppard had not attempted to share the images with others and had kept them separate from his children. O’Connell also noted that Sheppard had been under the burden of this issue since November 2002, and emphasized that only one image was classified at the highest level of severity. He further explained that Sheppard spent about an hour daily viewing pornography, and that child images constituted only a very small part of his overall viewing habits. To demonstrate his desire for a fresh start, Sheppard had resigned from his job and was in the process of selling his house to move elsewhere.

Despite these mitigating factors, Judge Morgan made it clear that the public’s revulsion at the violation of children could not be ignored. Consequently, he sentenced Sheppard to five months in prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender, reflecting the seriousness with which the court viewed his crimes and the need for ongoing monitoring of individuals involved in such offenses.