RICHARD CROSSMAN FROM THORNTON-LE-MOORS AND WREXHAM SENTENCED FOR NEARLY 23,000 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local communities of Thornton-le-Moors and Wrexham, Richard Crossman, a man with a troubling history of accessing and possessing illegal material, has been sentenced to prison after authorities uncovered a vast collection of indecent images of children on his electronic devices.

Crossman, aged 50, who previously resided near Wrexham and later moved to a location near Chester, was found to have downloaded and stored nearly 23,000 indecent images of minors over a period spanning six years. The images included some classified as the most severe category, highlighting the disturbing nature of his online activity.

The case came to light when police officers executed a warrant at Crossman’s former residence near Wrexham, where they were investigating drug-related offenses. During the search, law enforcement officials seized a laptop and two storage cards, which subsequently revealed the extent of Crossman’s illicit digital collection.

Prosecutor Barrister David Mainstone presented the findings to Mold Crown Court, revealing that the seized devices contained 21 images classified as Category A, 45 as Category B, and an alarming 22,834 as Category C. These categories denote increasing levels of severity and depravity, with Category A representing the most extreme material involving children.

Crossman claimed that he believed the images he possessed were legal and insisted that he had not viewed the majority of the files he had downloaded. However, the evidence suggested otherwise. Mr. Mainstone pointed out that the files on Crossman’s computer included labels such as 'pre-teen,' indicating a clear link to illegal content. Furthermore, it was established that many of these files had been obtained through BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer file-sharing platform known for distributing illicit material.

During the court proceedings, Crossman admitted to three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing extreme pornographic material. All these offenses were committed between 2011 and 2017, reflecting a prolonged period of criminal activity.

Judge Rhys Rowlands addressed the court, describing Crossman as “an extremely isolated individual” who had spent a significant amount of time in front of his computer screen, engaging in highly disturbing activities. The judge emphasized the severity of the crimes, citing the appalling nature of some of the images involved.

As part of his sentence, Judge Rowlands ordered Crossman to sign the sex offenders register for a period of ten years. Additionally, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed to restrict his future activities and prevent any potential harm.

This case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat the distribution and possession of child exploitation material, and it serves as a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in the digital world.