MATTHEW BENCE FROM WARESIDE CAUGHT WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND BEACH PHOTOS IN SOUTHWOLD
| Red Rose Database
Wareside Child Sexual Abuser
In February 2013, a disturbing case involving Matthew Bence, a 43-year-old man from Wareside, Hertfordshire, came to light through a series of criminal proceedings that revealed a pattern of disturbing behavior and possession of indecent images of children. The case was brought to the attention of authorities after police received intelligence regarding suspicious online communications involving Bence on Yahoo Messenger.
On April 27 of the previous year, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bence's residence. During the raid, they confiscated a laptop and a camera, which later became crucial pieces of evidence in the case. At the time of the search, Bence was not at home but returned later, claiming that any online chats he engaged in were merely 'fantasy.'
Analysis of the seized devices uncovered a troubling collection of images. The Toshiba laptop contained 203 images classified at Level 1, indicating the least severe category, along with 11 images at Level 3 and nine at Level 4, which is considered more serious. The camera analysis revealed 125 images at Level 1 depicting young girls aged between five and nine years old, dressed in swimming costumes and bikinis, taken on Southwold beach on October 2, 2011. Bence admitted that he had transferred these images from Southwold beach to his computer but claimed to have deleted them afterward.
During questioning, Bence, previously residing on Kingham Road in Wareside, pleaded guilty to multiple charges. These included eight counts of making (downloading) indecent images of children, possessing such images, four counts of distributing indecent images, taking indecent photographs of a child, possessing extreme pornography, publishing obscene articles on three occasions, and cultivating two cannabis plants. His defense lawyer, David Claydon, highlighted that Bence had no prior convictions and expressed remorse, stating that Bence was shocked and disgusted by his own actions. Claydon also noted that Bence, who has been married for 20 years, had sought help from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity dedicated to preventing child abuse.
Judge Stephen Gullick sentenced Bence to eight weeks in prison, suspended for two years. Additionally, Bence was ordered to comply with a two-year community order and to participate in a Sex Offender Treatment Programme. The judge emphasized the importance of these measures to prevent further offenses and to protect children from potential harm, stating, “The order is to try to ensure you don’t commit offences and to protect children from you.”
Further details of the case reveal that Bence had accumulated over 200 child pornography images, with a total of 215 images stored on his devices. These images were graded at various levels, with 197 at Level 1, 10 at Level 3, and 8 at Level 4. Bence also used Yahoo Messenger to send five users a total of 42 images at Level 1 across four different dates in April and May 2011. Additionally, he took 139 indecent photographs of children, all rated at Level 1, on or before October 2, 2011. The investigation uncovered that Bence had published three extreme child sexual abuse chat logs between April and July 2011. Among the disturbing items found was a picture depicting a human engaged in sexual activity with a dog, which he possessed on or before April 27, 2011. The case also revealed that Bence was cultivating two cannabis plants at his residence.
He was subsequently committed to St Albans Crown Court for sentencing, where the full extent of his offenses and the evidence against him would be formally addressed, marking a significant case in the ongoing fight against child exploitation and abuse.
On April 27 of the previous year, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bence's residence. During the raid, they confiscated a laptop and a camera, which later became crucial pieces of evidence in the case. At the time of the search, Bence was not at home but returned later, claiming that any online chats he engaged in were merely 'fantasy.'
Analysis of the seized devices uncovered a troubling collection of images. The Toshiba laptop contained 203 images classified at Level 1, indicating the least severe category, along with 11 images at Level 3 and nine at Level 4, which is considered more serious. The camera analysis revealed 125 images at Level 1 depicting young girls aged between five and nine years old, dressed in swimming costumes and bikinis, taken on Southwold beach on October 2, 2011. Bence admitted that he had transferred these images from Southwold beach to his computer but claimed to have deleted them afterward.
During questioning, Bence, previously residing on Kingham Road in Wareside, pleaded guilty to multiple charges. These included eight counts of making (downloading) indecent images of children, possessing such images, four counts of distributing indecent images, taking indecent photographs of a child, possessing extreme pornography, publishing obscene articles on three occasions, and cultivating two cannabis plants. His defense lawyer, David Claydon, highlighted that Bence had no prior convictions and expressed remorse, stating that Bence was shocked and disgusted by his own actions. Claydon also noted that Bence, who has been married for 20 years, had sought help from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity dedicated to preventing child abuse.
Judge Stephen Gullick sentenced Bence to eight weeks in prison, suspended for two years. Additionally, Bence was ordered to comply with a two-year community order and to participate in a Sex Offender Treatment Programme. The judge emphasized the importance of these measures to prevent further offenses and to protect children from potential harm, stating, “The order is to try to ensure you don’t commit offences and to protect children from you.”
Further details of the case reveal that Bence had accumulated over 200 child pornography images, with a total of 215 images stored on his devices. These images were graded at various levels, with 197 at Level 1, 10 at Level 3, and 8 at Level 4. Bence also used Yahoo Messenger to send five users a total of 42 images at Level 1 across four different dates in April and May 2011. Additionally, he took 139 indecent photographs of children, all rated at Level 1, on or before October 2, 2011. The investigation uncovered that Bence had published three extreme child sexual abuse chat logs between April and July 2011. Among the disturbing items found was a picture depicting a human engaged in sexual activity with a dog, which he possessed on or before April 27, 2011. The case also revealed that Bence was cultivating two cannabis plants at his residence.
He was subsequently committed to St Albans Crown Court for sentencing, where the full extent of his offenses and the evidence against him would be formally addressed, marking a significant case in the ongoing fight against child exploitation and abuse.