PHILIP HICKS FROM BRIDGWATER ESCAPES JAIL AFTER HORRIFIC CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

In November 2017, a disturbing case involving Philip Hicks, a resident of Bridgwater, came to light when he was found guilty of possessing and distributing a vast collection of child pornography. The severity of his actions prompted a serious judicial response, yet Hicks ultimately avoided immediate imprisonment.

Authorities conducted a raid on Hicks's home in Bridgwater after receiving credible information from Yahoo and Chat Shop about his illicit activities. During the police search, officers discovered that Hicks had been viewing and sharing hundreds of indecent images and videos depicting children, most of whom were under the age of eight. Some of these children were as young as two years old, highlighting the heinous nature of his offenses.

Hicks, aged 67 at the time, faced multiple charges related to the possession and distribution of child pornography. At Taunton Crown Court, he admitted to six counts of such offenses. Despite the gravity of his crimes, Hicks was not sentenced to immediate imprisonment. Instead, he received a 20-month prison sentence, which was suspended for two years, allowing him to serve his sentence conditionally.

Prosecutor Nikki Coombe provided details of the case, revealing that Hicks had acknowledged responsibility for the images when police arrived at his residence. However, it later emerged that Hicks had attempted to conceal further evidence by hiding a memory stick containing additional images. Mrs. Coombe described the content of the images, stating, “Most of the images were of girls aged six to eight – the children can clearly be seen in pain or distress.” She further explained that Hicks admitted to engaging in these activities a few days each week while at his Bridgwater home, expressing shame and a desire to seek help for his actions.

Hicks’s defense attorney, Emma Martin, who noted that her client had no prior convictions, acknowledged the seriousness of the crimes. She described Hicks as “horrified, ashamed and in equal measure desperate to ensure nothing like this happens again.”

During sentencing, Judge David Evans delivered a stern condemnation of Hicks’s conduct. He described Hicks as “entirely a paedophile” who had committed “repulsive offences” by viewing and sharing images of children being raped, restrained, and abused. The judge emphasized the profound harm caused by such acts, stating, “You appear to have been entirely oblivious to the appalling harm that lurks behind these offences. It beggars belief.”

Hicks was sentenced to 20 months in prison for one count of making indecent images of children and one count of distributing such images. These sentences were to run concurrently and were suspended for two years. Additionally, he received 12-month concurrent jail terms, also suspended for two years, for four other related offenses. The judge expressed the belief that Hicks had a better chance of rehabilitation within the community than behind bars, highlighting the importance of addressing the root causes of such behavior and offering hope for his potential recovery.