EDWIN OSBOURNE FROM COTHAM JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND VIDEOS

In September 2013, Edwin Osbourne, a man with a history of drug abuse and residing in Cotham, was sentenced to a 14-month prison term after being found guilty of possessing and creating a significant collection of child abuse material. The court heard that Osbourne, 26 years old and formerly living in Pensford before moving to St Matthews Road, Cotham, had amassed nearly 2,000 images, including 442 videos, over a period of several years.

During the proceedings at Bristol Crown Court, Osbourne pleaded guilty to 15 charges related to the making of indecent photographs, alongside a charge involving the possession of extreme pornographic images that depicted bestiality. The severity of the images and the nature of the crimes prompted the judge, Martin Picton, to deliver a stern warning. He stated, “You have downloaded the most appalling images of horrendous child abuse over five years. They are some of the very worst I’ve had to view. The level of harm meted out to children and babies is awful, it is disgusting and the suffering is very real.”

As part of his sentence, Osbourne was subjected to a ten-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which restricts his ability to access the internet without supervision. Additionally, he is required to register as a sex offender for a decade. The court also ordered that his computer equipment be destroyed to prevent further access to such material.

Prosecutor Richard Posner revealed that police investigations uncovered that Osbourne had used specific search terms to locate and download illegal content, some of which fell into the highest categories of abuse. When questioned by authorities, Osbourne admitted to his actions.

Defense lawyer Robert Duval explained that Osbourne had been struggling with substance abuse, specifically Class A drugs, at the time of the offenses. He added that Osbourne had confessed to his father within 20 minutes of the discovery, and that his father promptly contacted the police, providing details of his son’s admissions. Duval emphasized that Osbourne was making significant efforts to turn his life around, including actively working to curb his drug dependency and voluntarily having his computer use monitored to prevent further offenses.