KEITH SIMPSON FROM WELSHPOOL SENTENCED FOR INDECENT IMAGES AND EXTREME PORNOGRAPHY AT MOLD CROWN COURT

In a serious case brought before Mold Crown Court, Keith Simpson, a 43-year-old resident of Salop Road in Welshpool, faced justice for his involvement in possessing a vast collection of indecent images of children and extreme pornography. The proceedings took place on Thursday, November 22, following a detailed investigation into his activities that spanned several months.

Simpson pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including the possession of nearly 3,000 indecent images and videos depicting children, as well as possessing prohibited images of a child. Additionally, he admitted to possessing an extreme pornographic image that depicted intercourse with a dog. The charges stemmed from a police raid conducted at his home on January 10 of the same year, which uncovered a disturbing array of illicit material.

The court heard that Simpson was found to have a total of 2,953 indecent images and videos of children, along with 21 prohibited images of a child, and one image showing a person engaged in intercourse with an animal. The most serious charge involved the possession of 395 Category A indecent images of children, which involve penetrative sexual activity. These images are considered the most severe under the classification system used by authorities.

The sentencing resulted in an eight-month prison term, which was suspended for two years, meaning Simpson will not serve time unless he commits another offence within that period. The court did not impose separate penalties for the other four charges, which included a range of images across different categories, from B to C, and videos. The investigation also revealed that Simpson had actively searched for such images, and his comments during police interviews were considered aggravating factors.

Earlier in October 2018, Simpson had already admitted to possessing nearly 3,000 indecent images of children and an extreme animal pornographic image during a court hearing at Welshpool Magistrates’ Court. The police had acted on intelligence that linked Simpson’s IP address to the sharing of illicit material, leading to the warrant and subsequent raid. The evidence collected showed a disturbing pattern of behavior, with children as young as three years old depicted in the images.

Prosecutor Rhian Jones highlighted the severity of the case, emphasizing the large volume of material found and Simpson’s active role in seeking out such content. The court acknowledged the seriousness of the offences and decided to send the case to Mold Crown Court for sentencing, where Simpson was released on unconditional bail pending the hearing. The case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat the distribution and possession of child exploitation material, and the importance of judicial measures to address such grave crimes.