JOSHUA CHRISTIE FROM ELHAM AND FOLKESTONE CAUGHT WITH NEARLY 1,000 SICK IMAGES OF CHILDREN AND ANIMALS

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local communities of Elham and Folkestone, Joshua Christie, a 25-year-old former gym instructor, faced serious allegations related to the possession of highly disturbing and illegal images and videos. The case was brought before Canterbury Crown Court, where Christie appeared on January 10 for sentencing after being found in possession of nearly 1,000 indecent images involving children and animals, some of the most severe and explicit material known to law enforcement authorities.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Christie had developed a troubling 'habit' of viewing and storing images and videos depicting young girls, including some believed to be as young as just one year old. The court was also informed of an extremely disturbing video showing a girl aged between 12 and 15 years old masturbating a dog, highlighting the severity of the material he possessed.

Christie, who resides on Hog Green Lane in Elham, had previously pleaded guilty to seven separate charges related to the possession of indecent images of children and animals. The evidence presented indicated that he had created a total of 828 indecent images and videos, categorized by severity. Among these, the most serious (category A) images depicted the rape of children, a crime that causes immense harm and distress.

Specifically, Christie admitted to possessing 166 images classified as category C, 36 as category B, and 116 as category A. In addition, he confessed to possessing 257 videos in category A, 178 in category B, and 75 in category C. The charges also included a seventh count for possessing 148 images and videos of extreme pornography involving animals, including a disturbing scene of a person engaging in intercourse with an animal.

Despite the gravity of these offenses, the court sentenced Christie to 16 months in prison, but this sentence was suspended for two years. The presiding judge, Judge Brown, emphasized the disturbing nature of the material, noting that many images showed young girls in their early teens, with some depicting children as young as 12 to 18 months old. She also highlighted the presence of a video showing a girl masturbating a dog, which she described as particularly serious.

The court examined the evidence from two laptops and two memory sticks, which revealed that Christie had used search terms such as '12-year-old,' 'teen woman caught having sex with dog,' and 'video bestiality,' indicating a deliberate pursuit of such material. Judge Brown acknowledged Christie’s guilty pleas and his previous good character but warned that any further breach of the law could result in a custodial sentence. She expressed concern that Christie did not seem to fully grasp the implications of his actions and the harm caused to victims.

As part of his sentence, Christie will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years, which may include restrictions on working with children. He is also required to attend an accredited sex offenders program and complete a 30-day rehabilitation requirement. The court made it clear that any future offenses could lead to imprisonment, and Christie was warned about the serious consequences of his actions.

Earlier, in November 2017, Christie had admitted to possessing animal pornography and hundreds of sick images of children. At that time, he was a fitness instructor at Tru-Gym in Folkestone and was living on Hog Green Lane in Elham. After failing to appear at his initial hearing at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court, he was brought before Canterbury Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to seven charges, including making a total of 828 indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography involving animals.

Although Judge Simon James acknowledged Christie’s previous good character, he warned that the severity of the crimes could warrant an immediate prison sentence. Christie was released on conditional bail, with restrictions including no unsupervised contact with children under 16, and restrictions on his use of devices capable of internet access unless they are available for police inspection. His sentencing was scheduled for the week of January 8, 2018, to allow for a pre-sentence report to be prepared, and he was instructed not to delete or alter his browsing history during this period.