LEWIS WILLIAMS FROM BROADCLYST SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES NEAR EXETER

In a disturbing case that unfolded in Exeter, Lewis Williams, a 44-year-old resident of Claremont, Broadclyst, was found guilty of possessing and creating indecent images of children. The incident came to light in April 2011 when Williams' wife made a shocking discovery after he moved his computer to their shed.

According to reports, Williams had been downloading a significant number of illicit images, totaling over 1,000, which included some classified just one step below the most severe category of child abuse material. This revelation was made after his wife, suspicious of his secretive behavior, confronted him and subsequently alerted the police.

The court proceedings revealed that Williams had no prior convictions related to similar offenses, although he did have a criminal record for exposure from his twenties. He pleaded guilty to eight charges of making indecent photographs of children, committed between 2006 and the previous year, as well as two charges of possessing such images from 2008 and 2009.

During the investigation, it was uncovered that Williams had become increasingly secretive about his computer use around eight years prior. He refused to allow his wife access to the device and took measures to hide it, including relocating it to a shed and installing CCTV cameras there, which heightened her suspicions.

In May 2009, she requested family photographs, but Williams only provided them via a memory stick, instead of allowing her to access the files directly from the computer's hard drive. Upon examining the hard drive, she discovered folders containing child abuse images, prompting her to contact the authorities.

The police investigation confirmed the presence of 1,138 images graded at level one, which is considered the least severe, along with six images at level two, nine at level three, and seven at level four. The grading system used by law enforcement classifies images from level one to level five, with level five representing the most heinous material.

Following his arrest, Williams chose not to comment during police interviews but admitted guilt at the earliest opportunity in court. His defense lawyer, Mark Jackson, highlighted that Williams had lost his wife and was at risk of losing his job due to the charges. Jackson emphasized that Williams had promptly admitted his guilt, had not distributed the images, and suggested that a treatment program combined with long-term supervision would serve the public better than a prison sentence.

The judge, John Neligan, sentenced Williams to a three-year community order with supervision. As part of his punishment, Williams was ordered to attend an intensive rehabilitation program aimed at internet offenders. Additionally, a Sexual Offences Prevention Order was imposed, and his computer was confiscated. Williams was also placed on the Sexual Offenders' Register for five years.

The case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat the distribution and possession of child exploitation material, and serves as a stark reminder of the serious consequences faced by offenders in such cases.