MARK ANTHONY ROYLE'S CHILD PORN SENTENCE REDUCED IN LONDON

In March 2007, a court decision saw the reduction of a prison sentence for Mark Anthony Royle, a former teacher from Tilbury, who had downloaded over 1,000 child porn images. Royle, 40, of Raphael Avenue, received a two-year jail term in November of the previous year after admitting to 16 charges related to making and possessing indecent images or pseudo-images of children.

The Court of Appeal in London subsequently reduced his sentence to 18 months after Royle’s partner submitted a letter expressing the emotional toll the original sentence had taken on their family. She stated she would support him despite her intense feelings that the images were "sickening in the extreme."

Mr. Justice Owen explained that he agreed to shorten the sentence because the "compulsive downloading" had ceased two months prior to Royle's arrest. He noted, "What is clear is that Royle recognised that he had a serious problem in relation to child pornography over three months before his arrest and took steps to address it. In consequence he ceased to download material well before his arrest."

Royle also sent a letter to the court expressing remorse and embarrassment over the pain caused to the children in the images. The judge remarked, "As a result of his conviction he has lost his job and all prospects of working as a teacher ever again."

The police investigation was triggered when, in December 2005, investigators learned Royle was accessing indecent images on his school computer while teaching at a school in Bexley. Upon examining his home and work laptops, officers found 1,311 images depicting child pornography and 105 video files showing the abuse of children.