ROBERT NEAL IN STRoud AVOIDS PRISON OVER CHILD INDECENT IMAGES AT GLOUCESTER CROWN COURT

A 55-year-old man from Stroud, Robert Neal, who was found with over 85,000 indecent images and thousands of videos of children, has been spared immediate imprisonment at Gloucester Crown Court. Neal was discovered to have accumulated the images while struggling with depression and alcohol problems following a failed television project. He admitted to making indecent images of children and was given a nine-month suspended sentence for 18 months. Additionally, Neal was ordered to perform 150 hours of unpaid work and to engage in a rehab program. Following intelligence from the Child Exploitation Protection Centre, police executed a search of his home and uncovered the extensive collection of material depicting children as young as five in abusive situations. Neal has a longstanding interest in children, which he has acknowledged is something he has tried to address through various support services.