WIDNES MAN GEOFFREY ALLFORD ESCAPES JAIL FOR CHILD INDECENT IMAGES CASE IN LIVERPOOL
In a case that has shocked the community of Widnes, Geoffrey Allford, a 50-year-old resident of the town, was handed a relatively lenient sentence after admitting to possessing a significant collection of indecent images of children.The incident came to light in November 2016 when authorities from Cheshire police, alerted by an online monitoring agency, traced suspicious web activity back to Allford’s IP address.
Following this discovery, police executed a search warrant at Allford’s residence in Widnes.
During the search, they confiscated a laptop that contained a total of 213 indecent images, including both photographs and videos, depicting young girls aged between 10 and 13 years old.
The images were found to be stored on his device, which he admitted to acquiring through internet searches and file-sharing networks.
Allford explained that he had downloaded the material via peer-to-peer sharing platforms, attempting to conceal his activities by using a Tor browser to hide his identity online.
Prosecutor Derek Jones outlined that Allford’s online activity began in November 2014 and persisted until February 2017.
During police interviews, Allford denied any sexual interest in the images, claiming he was merely searching for the material to verify rumors about certain websites that hosted such content.
He stated that his intent was not sexual but investigative.
At Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, April 5, Recorder David Turner QC delivered the verdict.
Instead of a custodial sentence, Allford was sentenced to a two-year community order, which includes 30 days of rehabilitation activities.
Additionally, he was subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was ordered to register as a sex offender for five years.
The judge acknowledged the serious nature of the offense but also considered Allford’s guilty plea and his efforts to rehabilitate himself.
In his remarks, the judge expressed that there were “very sad elements to this case,” emphasizing the pain and suffering inflicted on victims, as well as the impact on Allford’s own family, including his wife.
The court noted that while Allford actively sought out the images, there was no evidence to suggest he had a sexual interest in the material itself.
The judge’s decision reflected a balance between punishment and the potential for rehabilitation, ultimately choosing to avoid a jail sentence in this instance.
