JOHN EVERITT FROM FRESHBROOK ESCAPES JAIL AFTER CHILD PORN CHARGES IN SWINDON

In a case that has drawn significant attention, John Everitt, a 42-year-old resident of Crawford Close in the Freshbrook area, narrowly avoided imprisonment after admitting to possessing child pornography. The incident unfolded at Swindon Magistrates Court last month, where Everitt pleaded guilty to seven separate charges related to indecent images of minors.

Everitt, who is confined to a wheelchair due to his health condition, was found to be in possession of a disturbing collection of 75 pornographic images depicting children, some of which were classified in the highest category of abuse. His physical limitations appeared to influence the court’s decision, as magistrates opted to impose a two-year suspended sentence rather than send him to prison or require community service. The court’s judgment was based on concerns about his health and physical ability to serve a custodial sentence.

The charges against Everitt included four counts of creating indecent images of a child, with these offenses dating back to January 30 of the current year. Additionally, he faced two charges related to making indecent images before September 23, 2005, and one count of possessing indecent images from September 24. The police investigation was initiated after officers in the West Midlands, while probing another case, came across information linking Everitt to these crimes and subsequently shared this intelligence with Wiltshire authorities.

On May 25, police raided Everitt’s residence, seizing his computer for forensic analysis. The examination revealed the presence of 75 indecent images stored on his device. During questioning, Everitt claimed that he obtained the images from an online image-sharing platform where users exchange such material. His defense lawyer, Michaela Rose, argued that the majority of the images—66 out of 75—were of the least offensive category, suggesting that only a few images were at the higher end of the abuse spectrum.

Prosecutor Simon Brenchley stated that during police interviews, Everitt admitted to acquiring the images from an internet-based image room where pictures are swapped among users. However, the police analysis indicated that several of these images had remained undeleted on his computer for several months, raising questions about his claims of immediate deletion upon receipt.

Ms. Rose emphasized Everitt’s fragile health, noting that his condition has significantly worsened in recent months. She argued that the stress associated with the case and his health issues had further deteriorated his condition, which the court considered when deciding on the sentence.

As part of the court’s ruling, Everitt was sentenced to a year in prison should he commit any further offenses within the next two years. Furthermore, magistrates ordered him to register as a sex offender for the next seven years, reflecting the seriousness of his crimes and the potential risk to the community.