GARETH WILLIAMSON FROM KEYHAM, PLYMOUTH, CAUGHT VIEWING CHILD ABUSE IMAGES ON MOTHER'S LAPTOP

In December 2013, a disturbing case emerged involving Gareth Williamson, a 40-year-old resident of Parkside, Keyham, Plymouth, who was found to have accessed indecent images of children on his mother’s personal laptop. The incident came to light when Williamson, after viewing the illicit material, took the unusual step of contacting the police himself to confess his actions, describing them as “something stupid.”

According to court proceedings at Plymouth Crown Court, Williamson had been left alone at his mother’s residence in Keyham while he was engaged in decorating tasks. During this period, he accessed and viewed a series of child abuse images stored on her computer. The court revealed that Williamson had previously been convicted and sentenced in 2008 for possession of indecent images, which led to the imposition of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). This order was meant to restrict his access to such material and prevent him from working or living with children.

On March 11 of that year, Williamson admitted to possessing indecent images of children, which ranged from Level 1 to Level 4, with a total of seven images viewed. The Crown Prosecution Service’s representative, Alistair Verheijen, explained that Williamson had contacted police to confess, stating he had “done something stupid.” When authorities seized his laptop, they discovered the images had been deleted, but forensic analysis confirmed their presence. Williamson explained to police that he had guessed his mother’s computer password and, while alone at her house, had stumbled upon the images while decorating.

Williamson’s legal representative, Ali Rafati, expressed remorse, stating that his client was “in disarray” after betraying his mother’s trust by viewing her laptop without permission. Rafati emphasized that Williamson was fully aware of the gravity of his actions and the potential consequences.

Following his arrest and subsequent imprisonment, Williamson took steps to address his offending behavior. He paid to attend a specialized course aimed at tackling internet sex offending, demonstrating some level of remorse and willingness to change. During the sentencing hearing, Recorder Michael Vere-Hodge acknowledged Williamson’s self-reporting and expressed understanding of his remorse, stating, “I accept you were horrified and very disappointed by your lapse.”

The court ordered Williamson to undergo the internet sex offenders’ course again and placed him under supervision by probation services for a period of two years. Additionally, a new indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order was imposed, which prohibits him from working or residing with children and mandates that he surrender his internet browsing history to police upon request. This case highlights the ongoing efforts of authorities to monitor and restrict individuals convicted of such offenses, especially those with a history of offending, in the Plymouth area and beyond.