MATTHEW MCKENDRY FROM TOTNES JAILED FOR CHILD PORN OFFENCES IN DEVON

In February 2012, a man from Totnes was sentenced to four months in prison after being found guilty of possessing and creating indecent images of children. The conviction followed an incident where illegal images were discovered on a laptop belonging to his landlady, Sophie Brooks, which ultimately led to his arrest and subsequent trial.

Matthew McKendry, a 31-year-old double glazing salesman residing at Apple Wharf in Totnes, was implicated after Ms. Brooks noticed suspicious activity on her computer. She recounted to the court that she had attempted to access her Facebook account but was unexpectedly redirected to explicit web pages that had been previously browsed by McKendry. Upon further inspection, she found images depicting young girls in sexualized positions. Although the girls were not fully naked, they were wearing underwear, which caused her immediate concern.

Ms. Brooks described her shock upon discovering additional images stored in the 'My Documents' folder, with labels such as 'Mother and Daughter.' She expressed her horror at the apparent age of the girls, estimating them to be around eight or nine years old. The images showed the children in inappropriate poses, which she found deeply disturbing. She promptly shut down the computer and took the laptop to the police the following day for investigation.

During the court proceedings, McKendry denied seven counts of making or possessing indecent images of children. He claimed he had not accessed the sites himself and suggested that other visitors to his house might have been responsible for the downloads. McKendry also stated that he had been staying at his mother’s residence in Totnes during the time many of the images were downloaded, asserting that he had no access to the laptop at that time. At the time of the offences, however, he was renting a room from Ms. Brooks at her home in Torquay.

Further evidence presented in court revealed that McKendry’s iPhone had also been used to access child abuse websites. Authorities found that 518 still images and three videos had been downloaded onto his phone, indicating a pattern of illicit activity across multiple devices.

As the verdict was delivered at Exeter Crown Court, McKendry was visibly emotional, sobbing as he was convicted. Judge Graham Cottle sentenced him to four months in prison, emphasizing the seriousness of such offences. In his remarks, the judge criticized McKendry’s defense, which involved unfounded accusations against his housemates and their friends, asserting that they had been truthful throughout the proceedings. Judge Cottle highlighted the grave danger posed by individuals interested in viewing such images, noting that it directly endangers children and contributes to their sexual exploitation. The case underscores the ongoing threat posed by online child abuse and the importance of vigilance in protecting vulnerable minors.