KEVIN WILKES FROM TEWKESBURY SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

In August 2015, Kevin Wilkes, a former Special Police Constable from Tewkesbury, was sentenced to 20 months in prison after admitting to possessing a vast collection of sexually explicit images and videos involving children as young as seven years old. The case was heard at Gloucester Crown Court, where Wilkes, aged 42 and residing on Knights Way in Tewkesbury, pleaded guilty to 14 counts related to the possession of indecent images, including both still photographs and moving pictures.

Judge Malcolm Gibney, presiding over the case, delivered a stern judgment, emphasizing the severity of the crimes. He stated, "The children involved were aged from seven to 14, and the images depict acts of penetrative sex with adults, which is outrageous." The judge further noted that Wilkes initially claimed the images were found by accident, a defense that was dismissed as unconvincing. Judge Gibney expressed disbelief at Wilkes' assertion that he derived no sexual satisfaction from the images, asserting that such a claim was beyond belief given the nature and volume of the material.

Wilkes, who was serving as a Special Police Constable at the time of the offenses, has since resigned from Gloucestershire Constabulary. The charges he admitted spanned a period from January 2002 to April 2014, covering a wide range of material. Specifically, he faced twelve charges for individual images and two additional charges for a total of 222 video files and 410 still images. The content was categorized by severity, with 90 of the videos classified as Category A, indicating the most serious material, 99 as Category B, and 33 as Category C. Similarly, among the still images, 30 were rated as Category A, 80 as Category B, and 300 as Category C.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner explained that Wilkes' activities came to light through an investigation initiated in Canada, where he had purchased an indecent film from a local company. This led to Gloucestershire Constabulary becoming involved in the case. Authorities seized 39 discs from Wilkes, some of which he marked with felt-tip pen labels such as "C.P." for Child Pornography and "G.A.P." for Gay Adult Porn, indicating the nature of the content. The investigation revealed that Wilkes engaged in internet browsing and file sharing involving children of both genders across all three categories of material.

The evidence included a significant number of files—222 movies and 410 images—highlighting the extent of his offending. The case was further aggravated by the large volume of material, the multiple victims involved, and the lengthy period over which Wilkes committed these offenses, spanning over a decade from 2002 to 2014. Defense lawyer Paul Trotman argued that Wilkes was a man of previously good character, who was caring for his elderly parents—his father aged 82 and his mother aged 79—and maintained that he had no sexual interest in children.

Following his conviction, Wilkes was subject to a sexual offences prevention order, which will remain in effect until further notice. Additionally, he is required to register as a sex offender for the next ten years, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and compliance with legal restrictions designed to protect the public from further harm.