LEE ABBOTT FROM THURMASTON JAILED FOR OVER 14,500 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES DISCOVERED ON HIS COMPUTER

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Thurmaston, Lee Abbott, aged 41, has been sentenced to a 10-month prison term after authorities uncovered a staggering collection of more than 14,500 indecent images of children stored on his personal computer equipment.

Abbott's arrest was triggered when a female guest, staying at his residence on Church Hill Road, inadvertently discovered illegal images on his PlayStation 3 console. The guest, who was expecting a child and was staying with Abbott along with her partner, found disturbing pictures and videos depicting young girls in underwear, which understandably caused her significant concern.

Following her discovery, she promptly moved out of Abbott’s home and reported the incident to the police in November 2011. Law enforcement officers seized all of Abbott’s computer devices and conducted a thorough examination. The investigation revealed a disturbing array of images categorized across various levels of severity. Specifically, they found 14,561 images classified as level one, which is considered the least serious, along with 14 images at level two, 43 at level three, and 81 at level four. Additionally, authorities uncovered 15 images in the most severe category, level five, indicating the most explicit and harmful content.

Abbott, who resides on Church Hill Road in Thurmaston, pleaded guilty to possessing ten counts of child abuse images spanning from 2004 to 2011. His admission of guilt was accepted by the court, leading to his sentencing.

During the hearing, Judge Philip Head addressed the gravity of the offense, stating, “Anyone who sees those images must wonder at the harm caused to these children who were made to suffer what they endured. Without people like you there wouldn’t be a market for those who make them. All the children were under 13, but some were very young indeed.”

In mitigation, Carl Gaskell explained that Abbott’s offending was linked to a period when he was heavily involved with cocaine, which significantly impaired his judgment and lifestyle. Gaskell added that Abbott has since made efforts to turn his life around, including quitting drugs independently, securing employment, and living with a partner who is now pregnant with his child.

As part of his sentence, Abbott will be required to register as a sex offender for the next ten years. Furthermore, he was subjected to a sex offences prevention order, which restricts his future use of computers and related devices to prevent further offenses.