HENRY MCWILLIAM SENTENCE REDUCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN CANNING CIRCUS, NOTTINGHAM

In a significant development in a disturbing child pornography case, Henry Arthur McWilliam, a resident of Hermon Street in the Canning Circus area, has seen his prison sentence considerably shortened following an appeal. McWilliam, aged 45, was originally sentenced to 27 months in prison at Nottingham Crown Court after admitting to multiple charges related to the possession of indecent images of children.

His conviction stemmed from a police raid conducted in April 2007, during which authorities seized a substantial amount of digital material from his residence. The investigation uncovered a troubling collection of approximately 2,500 images, many of which were in video format. Among these, over 750 images were classified at level four, and 53 at level five, the highest categories indicating the most severe and repugnant content. Additionally, there were 9,681 images stored on his computer's hard drive that were no longer accessible at the time of the investigation.

Initially, McWilliam was sentenced earlier this year after pleading guilty to possessing these indecent images, which police and prosecutors described as 'vile and repugnant.' The court heard that he did not distribute or share these images but kept them for personal use. His legal team argued that the original sentence was excessive, claiming that McWilliam was effectively being punished twice—once for the possession and again for the nature of the content, which was already reflected in the categorization levels.

During the appeal hearing at London's Court of Appeal, the judges considered these arguments carefully. They were informed that the sentencing judge should not have taken into account the distress experienced by victims, as this was already incorporated into the categorization of the videos. Mr Justice Bean, sitting alongside Lord Justice Goldring and Judge Michael Mettyear QC, agreed that the original sentence was disproportionate and decided to reduce it to 16 months, deeming this more appropriate given the circumstances.

The judges also noted that McWilliam had a history of good character prior to this incident and that there was a significant delay—nearly two years—between his arrest and sentencing. The court emphasized that McWilliam’s actions involved possession only, with no evidence of distribution or sharing, which influenced the decision to lessen his sentence. The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat the possession of such heinous material, while also considering the individual circumstances of offenders during sentencing.