PETER STEVENS FROM SOUTH WOODHAM FERRERS JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CRIME

In February 2019, a disturbing case unfolded involving Peter Stevens, a resident of South Woodham Ferrers, who was convicted of serious offenses related to child exploitation and the possession of indecent images of minors. Despite the gravity of his actions, Stevens' wife has publicly expressed her continued support for him, describing him as a 'family man' even after his conviction and subsequent imprisonment.

The case revealed that Stevens had engaged in highly inappropriate online activities, including setting up a separate electronic device to record Skype conversations with two girls under the age of 16. These recordings and images were part of a disturbing pattern of behavior that came to light when authorities seized his electronic devices on August 7, 2017. The devices in question included an Acer computer and a Seagate hard drive, which contained hundreds of indecent images of children.

During the investigation, authorities uncovered more than 200 indecent images classified as Category C, which generally involve explicit but less severe material. Over the course of approximately 13 months, Stevens was found to have created a total of 265 Category C images. Additionally, he possessed another 71 indecent images of the same category, along with one image that fell into the more serious Category B classification, indicating a higher level of severity and potential harm.

Further charges revealed that in April 2016, Stevens had also produced an additional five Category C images. The court heard that Stevens specifically targeted young females who were on the verge of turning 15 or 16, using social media platforms to contact and exploit these minors. The investigation indicated that after creating these illicit images, Stevens organized them into separate folders on his devices, labeling them in a manner that suggested a methodical approach to his illegal activities.

It was also noted during the court proceedings that it remained unknown whether the young girls involved were aware that they were being recorded or that their images were being stored and viewed by Stevens. The court was presented with a disturbing picture of premeditated exploitation and abuse.

At the hearing held at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday, February 18, Stevens appeared in court wearing a pale blue striped shirt and glasses. Throughout the proceedings, he sat quietly, occasionally glancing around the courtroom. His defense attorney, Mr. Rakesh Sharma, emphasized Stevens' previous good character and his role as a family man, stating that he still resides with his wife, who continues to support him. Sharma also pointed out that Stevens had entered a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity, which was considered a mitigating factor.

However, the judge, Patricia Lynch, addressed the seriousness of the charges directly. She acknowledged the defense's arguments but emphasized the importance of protecting children from such exploitation. She stated, “Everything Mr. Sharma has said on your behalf I accept, but you must understand the difficulty here is that you’re filming, via Skype, real children and children deserve protection. The reason these matters are so serious is not only because you filmed them for your own sexual desires, but these children will know these images will last forever and research has shown it does untold damage for children to know paedophiles like yourself are viewing their images for their own sexual desires.”

Judge Lynch made it clear that such offenses warrant significant punishment, and while she considered the possibility of a suspended sentence, she ultimately decided that a custodial sentence was appropriate. Stevens was sentenced to nine months in prison for one count of taking an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child, a reduction from an initial 12 months due to his early guilty plea. Additionally, he received a four-month sentence for two other counts of making indecent images, which were ordered to run concurrently, resulting in a total of nine months behind bars.

The court also imposed a sexual harm prevention order and ordered Stevens to sign the sex offenders’ register for a period of ten years. Furthermore, the judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of both his computers to prevent further dissemination of the illicit material. Addressing Stevens directly, Judge Lynch remarked, “You may think this is harsh because of your good character but children need to be protected and the message needs to go out.” The case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat online child exploitation and the importance of safeguarding vulnerable minors from such predatory behavior.