MARTIN HELLAWELL OF HANWORTH SENTENCED IN READING FOR INDECENT IMAGES AND PERVERTING JUSTICE
In June 2014, Martin Hellawell, a 56-year-old resident of Bucklebury, Hanworth, was sentenced to three years in prison for possessing indecent images of children and attempting to obstruct justice.Hellawell appeared before Reading Crown Court on the Friday prior to sentencing, having admitted to two counts of making indecent images and one count of possession with intent to distribute them.
He was found to have a total of 36,799 images stored on his computer, including images of children involved in acts with animals.
Hellawell also confessed to perverting the course of justice by trying to damage two memory sticks when police arrived at his home.
Judge Angela Morris described his attempt to destroy evidence as "feeble," noting that some images were classified at the "most serious levels four and five." She highlighted that some photographs depicted penetrative sex with children who were of "such a tender age" and clarified that none of the children were over 12 years old.
Moreover, some images were stored in a file intended for sharing.
In her remarks, Judge Morris emphasized the gravity of such offenses, stating, "People who possess and distribute this sort of material create the very abuse which courts must mark with serious and substantial sentences because the children who are the victims of this abuse must be protected." She added, "That you are a 56-year-old married man with children of your own and that you should want to have such images is incomprehensible." While noting that Hellawell was generally honest and hardworking, she pointed out his previous conviction for distributing indecent images.
"You knew only too well what you were doing," she said.
Sentencing, Judge Morris ordered Hellawell to serve 26 months for each of the indecent images charges, to run concurrently, and an additional 10 months for perverting the course of justice, to run consecutively.
She also imposed a sexual offences prevention order and mandated registration as a sex offender for ten years.
