GRAHAM BROOKES FROM RAWMARSH FOUND GUILTY OF CHILD ABUSE IMAGE OFFENSES AT SHEFFIELD CROWN COURT

In a significant case that has drawn considerable attention, Graham Brookes, a 51-year-old resident of St Nicolas Road in Rawmarsh, was convicted of multiple serious charges related to the possession and distribution of indecent images of children, as well as possessing extreme pornography involving an animal. The verdict was delivered at Sheffield Crown Court after a trial that lasted two days, during which the jury deliberated for just over an hour before reaching their decision.

Brookes had maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, claiming that the images found on his devices were not his own but had been downloaded or accessed through hacking. He argued that someone else had gained unauthorized access to his computer and that he was not responsible for the content discovered. Despite his assertions, the evidence presented by the prosecution painted a different picture.

On October 9, 2015, police executed a raid on Brookes’ residence, seizing his computer tower and laptop for forensic analysis. The examination revealed a disturbing collection of images stored on his devices, including 38 images classified as Category A, which is the most severe level of indecency, along with 11 films. Additionally, there were 28 images in Category B, 158 in Category C, and material involving extreme pornography with an animal. The forensic findings indicated that these images had been created or downloaded between 2012 and October 2015, just a week prior to the police raid.

Further investigation uncovered that Brookes’ mobile phone did not contain any indecent images of children. However, authorities found concerning messages on his Facebook profile, including one where a man asked him, “How’s things, got any dirty pictures for me lol.” Brookes responded with, “Lol, you after a nice dirty birthday treat, mate? Got some on PC and not phone, will send some tonight.”

In addition to the Facebook messages, the court heard that Brookes maintained multiple Skype accounts through which he exchanged indecent messages with other individuals involved in similar activities. Evidence suggested that images had been transferred between users within these accounts, further implicating him in the distribution of such material.

Throughout the police interviews, Brookes chose not to comment on the charges and maintained that his computer had been hacked. Despite his claims, the jury found him guilty of six counts of making indecent images of children, one count of distributing indecent images, and one count of possessing extreme pornography involving an animal. He was remanded in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on March 1.