LAWRENCE HUNT FROM FELSTED AND MARTLESHAM HEATH FACES SEX OFFENDER CHARGES IN IPSWICH

In March 2017, Lawrence Hunt, a resident of Felsted and Martlesham Heath, found himself at the center of a serious criminal case involving child sexual abuse images. Hunt, who was living in Felsted at the time, was brought before Ipswich Crown Court to face charges related to possessing indecent photographs of children.

According to court records, Hunt, aged 66, was accused of downloading and viewing child sexual abuse images on his personal computer. During the proceedings, it was revealed that Hunt had accessed more than a hundred such images. However, Hunt maintained that he only looked at ten of these photographs, which he described as being at the lowest level of severity. He claimed that the other images had been accessed by someone else without his knowledge.

Lawrence Hunt’s defense lawyer, Matthew McNiff, argued that his client was a man of previously good character who had inadvertently come across these images. McNiff explained to the court that when files are downloaded, individuals often do not know what they contain until they open them. He emphasized that once a file is downloaded, it remains on the computer unless actively deleted, which Hunt had not done. McNiff also pointed out that media coverage had previously portrayed Hunt as someone who mass-produced child pornography, a characterization he argued was unfair and damaging.

Furthermore, McNiff highlighted that Hunt had already suffered significant consequences, including being barred from seeing his 11-year-old son, and urged the judge to consider a conditional discharge rather than a harsher sentence.

During the hearing, the court was informed that Hunt had pleaded guilty to ten counts of possessing indecent photographs of children. Judge David Goodin acknowledged the seriousness of the offense, stating, “The police found on your computer a number of images, over 100 depicting child pornography. Some are at a serious level, and some are at the lower end of the spectrum. Downloading, viewing, and accessing such material are offenses that the public rightly view with horror and revulsion.”

Judge Goodin also noted that the Crown Prosecution Service could not prove Hunt was responsible for all the images because another person had access to his computer. Nonetheless, the judge based his sentencing on the fact that Hunt had viewed ten images at the lowest level of severity but had failed to delete them, even re-examining them on occasion.

As a result, Hunt was fined £500 and ordered to register as a sex offender. The court’s decision reflected the gravity of possessing such material, but also considered Hunt’s limited involvement and the circumstances surrounding the case.