GEORGE TWEEDIE FROM TINTINHULL SENTENCED FOR CHILD INDECENT IMAGE OFFENSES IN TAUNTON

In May 2018, a man from Tintinhull named George Scott Tweedie was sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of possessing and distributing a large collection of indecent images of children. Tweedie, a former Chief Petty Officer in the Navy, committed these disturbing offenses over a span of approximately nine months, during which he accessed and stored hundreds of illicit photographs and videos depicting children in various stages of sexual abuse.

George Tweedie, aged 57 and residing on Church Street in Tintinhull, appeared before Judge David Ticehurst at Taunton Crown Court to face the charges. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts, including the creation, possession, and distribution of indecent images. Specifically, between July 28, 2016, and April 4, 2017, in Martock, he made 113 images and seven videos classified as Category A, which denotes the most severe level of indecency involving children. In addition, Tweedie admitted to creating further indecent images in Category B and possessing a total of 598 images in Category C, which are considered less serious but still illegal.

Furthermore, Tweedie confessed to distributing three Category A images, three Category B images, and 14 Category C images between March 1 and March 24 of the previous year. He also admitted to being in possession of a prohibited image of a child on April 6, 2017. The prosecution, led by Harry Ahuja, revealed that police investigations were initiated after authorities received information indicating that Tweedie had uploaded an indecent image of a seven-year-old girl onto an online platform using an IP address linked to him.

Following this tip-off, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Tweedie’s residence on April 6. During the search, they confiscated multiple electronic devices, including a laptop and two external hard drives. The officers discovered a disturbing collection of images, primarily of young girls, but also including photographs of babies aged between 18 months and two years being subjected to serious sexual abuse. The images were meticulously organized into collections and stored in hidden files to prevent family members from discovering them. Evidence also showed that Tweedie used Skype to share some of these images with other online users.

Judge Ticehurst, addressing Tweedie during sentencing, expressed profound concern over the nature of the crimes. He remarked, “One of your children has just had a son. How would you feel if that little boy appeared in one of the videos that turned you on? His life would be destroyed. He would be psychologically damaged.” The judge condemned the images as “horrific” and emphasized the depravity of adults engaging in such acts against children. He also highlighted Tweedie’s role in not only viewing but actively sharing these images with others who shared similar disturbing interests.

As a result of his crimes, Tweedie was sentenced to a total of three years in prison. The court also ordered the forfeiture of his electronic devices and imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. Additionally, Tweedie will remain on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £140. The judge’s ruling underscores the severity of the offenses and the ongoing threat posed by individuals involved in the distribution and possession of child exploitation material.