NICHOLAS WILSON FROM BATLEY AND SNAITH ESCAPES JAIL AFTER CHILD PORNOGRAPHY DISCOVERY

In a case that has shocked the communities of Snaith and Batley, Nicholas Wilson, aged 41, narrowly avoided imprisonment after police uncovered disturbing evidence of child exploitation on his computer. Wilson, who previously resided on Oakdale Close in Snaith and is now living in Batley, appeared before Goole Magistrates' Court on a Friday to face serious charges related to the possession of indecent images of children.

Wilson was charged with six counts of possessing such images, which included photographs and a nine-minute video. He had previously entered a guilty plea to all charges, which detailed the extent of his possession of illicit material. The court was informed that between September 7, 2006, and December 15, 2006, Wilson’s computer contained a total of 36 images, classified on a scale from one to five based on their severity. Notably, level five images are considered the most serious, but Wilson’s collection ranged from levels one to four.

Prosecutor Phillip Evans from the Crown Prosecution Service provided a detailed account of the material. He explained that the nine-minute video, rated as level two, depicted a naked female child approximately 12 years old engaging in sexual acts, including masturbation. The images included a level three photograph showing a girl’s face near the groin of a naked man, and a level four image featuring a young girl around five years old in a similar context. The remaining images consisted of 27 level one images, two at level two, four at level three, and three at level four.

During police interviews, Wilson admitted to obtaining indecent images from file-sharing websites. He claimed that he had done so roughly two years prior and that he had deleted all related files approximately 14 months before his arrest. However, the prosecution disputed this, asserting that downloads had occurred during the period in question and that the images remained on his computer. Importantly, there was no evidence suggesting Wilson attempted to distribute or profit from these images, nor that he printed or shared them in any way.

Wilson’s defense lawyer, Shaun Pinchbeck, highlighted that his client, a former pupil of Goole Grammar School, had no previous criminal record. The court was also told that until his arrest, Wilson’s wife was working as a childminder, and statements from her clients indicated that they did not believe their children or Wilson’s children were at risk. Pinchbeck acknowledged the gravity of the offenses but emphasized that most of the images were at the lowest levels of severity.

After reviewing a sample of the images, the magistrates decided on a sentence that included a three-year community order. This order mandated Wilson to undergo supervision and complete a sex offender treatment program. Additionally, he was issued a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which restricts his internet use to work, study, or employment-related activities and prohibits any involvement in work that would bring him into contact with children. Wilson is also required to register as a sex offender with the police for five years. His computer equipment and related devices will be destroyed, and he was ordered to pay court costs of £70.

Wilson’s case underscores the ongoing concerns surrounding online child exploitation and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to combat such crimes, even when offenders are spared immediate imprisonment.