BRADFORD ON AVON MAN SENTENCED FOR VIEWING CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN PUB
A man found viewing child pornography in a local pub has been sentenced to a suspended prison term.Nicholas Watson was using his laptop at a pub table during the afternoon when other customers noticed what he was watching.
Concerned patrons called the police, which confirmed that the 62-year-old resident of Winsley Road, Bradford on Avon, was in possession of tens of thousands of child abuse images stored on his device.
During the hearing on Monday, the judge chose to suspend his jail sentence, stating that society would benefit more from him receiving treatment rather than being incarcerated.
When informed that Watson could not undertake unpaid work, the judge explained that he could not include a punitive component in his sentence.
Prosecutor Colin Meeke shared that Watson visited The Castle Inn in Bradford on Avon in April of the previous year.
A bartender and another customer observed him frequently looking at his computer, raising suspicions about the nature of the material.
Once he realized law enforcement was involved, Watson attempted to leave but then complied with officers.
A search of his residence uncovered multiple devices containing child pornography, with estimates suggesting over 70,000 images and videos, although not all were cataloged due to time constraints.
On the laptop used at the pub, authorities found 271 images and 28 movies categorized as the most severe type, along with hundreds more in less serious categories.
The search history also revealed attempts to access such content via search engines.
Watson pleaded guilty to creating indecent images of children.
His defense attorney, Caighli Taylor, said her client expressed remorse and recognized he needed assistance.
She noted that he cares for his mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.
He is also dealing with a lung mass that is unlikely to be cancer but impacts his health.
Judge Jason Taylor QC sentenced him to 24 months in prison, suspended for two years, coupled with 30 days of rehabilitation activities.
Due to his health condition, the judge refrained from adding a punitive element but ordered a 10-year sexual offences prevention order to be in place.
