KEMSING MAN MATTHEW PHYALL ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE CHILD SEX IMAGE OFFENSES IN MAIDSTONE

In a case that has shocked the community of Kemsing, Matthew Phyall, a 21-year-old resident of Northdown Road, was found to possess a significant collection of illegal child sexual images and videos. Despite the severity of the evidence against him, Phyall was not sentenced to immediate imprisonment but received a suspended jail term that reflects the seriousness of his actions.

On a Friday at Maidstone Crown Court, Judge Martin Joy delivered his verdict after Phyall pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the possession, creation, and distribution of indecent images of children. The court was informed that police had initiated their investigation following a tip-off that Phyall’s email address was being used to download child pornography. This led to a raid on his residence, where authorities examined his computer and uncovered a disturbing collection of illicit material.

Specifically, the police discovered a total of 855 still images of children, categorized at various levels of seriousness. Of these, 203 images were classified at the higher levels, indicating a more severe degree of exploitation. Additionally, the authorities found 23 video clips, some of which also fell into the higher categories of severity. The presence of such material underscores the gravity of the offense and the potential harm inflicted upon victims.

During the sentencing, Judge Joy emphasized the damaging impact of such crimes, stating, “Real children are harmed by such offences. It is easy for people to be fooled into thinking they aren’t. That is something you don’t seem to understand.” The judge pointed out that Phyall had not been entirely forthcoming with the probation service, and there was no recommendation for treatment programs such as a sex offender rehabilitation scheme.

While acknowledging the seriousness of the case, Judge Joy decided that a custodial sentence was necessary but opted for a suspended term of 12 months, which will be held in abeyance for 18 months. As part of his sentence, Phyall was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid community work, register as a sex offender, and was prohibited from working with children. Additionally, he was required to pay prosecution costs amounting to £500.

The court was told that the offending behavior began after Phyall received the illicit images from a friend. Although he claimed to have felt ill upon viewing the material and denied any sexual interest in children or deriving sexual gratification from the images, the court found the evidence compelling enough to warrant a serious sentence. Phyall’s legal counsel, Tom Dunn, argued that the volume of material involved was relatively small, but the court maintained that the nature of the offenses warranted significant consequences to reflect their severity.