IAN WALSH FROM CHORLEY AND PRESTON SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the communities of Chorley and Preston, Ian Walsh, aged 31, has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of possessing a horrifying collection of child abuse images and videos. Walsh, who was previously residing on Moor Road in Chorley and is now serving time at HMP Preston, was under close surveillance by Lancashire Police’s Sex Offender Management Unit due to prior convictions related to similar offenses in 2016.

Authorities had been monitoring Walsh’s activities following his earlier conviction, which led to the imposition of a five-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO). This order was designed to restrict his internet use and prevent further offenses. However, during routine visits, police officers became suspicious and seized mobile phones from Walsh’s residence on two separate occasions. These seizures revealed that Walsh had attempted to delete his internet browsing history, an act that directly violated the conditions of his SHPO.

Further investigation uncovered a deeply disturbing cache of digital material. The police found a total of 115 videos depicting children being abused, along with 508 indecent images of minors, and six images involving animals. The severity of the content was underscored by the fact that 62 of the videos and 200 of the images were classified as Category A, indicating the most serious level of abuse under law. These findings were presented at Preston Crown Court, where the gravity of Walsh’s offenses was made clear.

It was revealed that Walsh’s first phone was confiscated in December 2017, and during an unannounced police visit, a Samsung Galaxy device with a memory card was also seized for forensic analysis. His attempt to erase his search history was considered a breach of his existing SHPO, which was a significant aggravating factor in his sentencing.

Walsh, who previously lived on Moor Road in Chorley, initially denied intentionally downloading the illicit images, claiming that the files might have been stored on a Dropbox account before his arrest in 2016. However, he later admitted to possessing and creating indecent images, including extreme content, and acknowledged breaching his court order.

During the court proceedings, Walsh’s defense lawyer, Tom Lord, acknowledged the seriousness of his client’s mental state, stating, “The defendant acknowledges through me that his thinking was extremely distorted, glaringly so, worryingly so. Being exposed to high-level offenders in custody has brought the seriousness of his offending home to him.”

Judge Beverley Lunt emphasized the gravity of the case, highlighting the numerous images involved and the aggravating factors such as Walsh’s blatant disregard for court orders and the ongoing nature of his offending. The judge pointed out the distress and suffering inflicted upon the children depicted in the images, describing it as “obvious pain and suffering.” As a result, Walsh was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions.

In a related case from May 2016, Walsh, then 28, was found with a collection of 733 indecent images of children at his residence in Chorley. Although he admitted to possessing these images, he was not jailed but was instead given a conditional discharge for two years. Additionally, he was subjected to a three-year community order, which included mandatory attendance at an internet sex offenders’ treatment program. The court also imposed a five-year SHPO, which prohibited Walsh from deleting his internet search history and restricted his online activities. During that investigation, police raided his home while he was absent and later arrested him when he inquired about the investigation at Chorley Police Station.

These cases underscore the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat child exploitation and the serious consequences faced by offenders like Ian Walsh, whose actions have caused significant harm and distress to vulnerable children in the Preston and Chorley areas.