ROBERT WILKINSON FROM FARNWORTH SENTENCED FOR CHILD IMAGE OFFENSES IN BOLTON

In a case that has shocked the local community of Farnworth, Robert Wilkinson, a 52-year-old man, was brought before Bolton Crown Court to face serious allegations related to the possession and downloading of indecent images of minors. The incident came to light after police responded to a distress call to Wilkinson’s residence on Eastcote Walk in Farnworth on November 12, 2019, where officers found him in a state suggesting he may have taken an overdose.

According to court proceedings, Wilkinson’s employer was present at his home during the police visit. The manager informed officers that Wilkinson had confessed to possessing images of young girls on his laptop. Victoria Lewis, the prosecutor, explained that Wilkinson, upon waking, appeared confused and incoherent but reiterated his admission about the images. Despite this, during police interviews, Wilkinson denied owning any indecent images, citing issues with alcohol abuse and depression as part of his defense.

Following his hospital admission, Wilkinson was detained under the Mental Health Act for six days. During this period, law enforcement officials seized his Dell laptop along with other electronic devices for forensic examination. The investigation revealed a disturbing collection of 1,091 indecent images of girls aged between six and sixteen, including videos. The images were categorized into different levels of severity: ten in the most serious Category A, seven in Category B, and the remaining 1,074 in Category C. All images were inaccessible to ordinary users, indicating they had been deleted or hidden.

Further investigation uncovered that Wilkinson had repeatedly searched a website known for hosting child exploitation material. Between August 2010 and March 2018, he accessed various albums with titles such as Preteen001, Nudepreteengirls, and Underagelove66. Despite having no prior criminal record, Wilkinson pleaded guilty to three counts of downloading indecent images of children, with offenses spanning from October 2013 to November 2019.

Defense lawyer Martin Pizzey expressed that Wilkinson was deeply troubled by his actions and was overwhelmed with guilt. He explained that Wilkinson had taken steps to delete the offending material in an attempt to prevent further access and to cope with his remorse.

Judge Timothy Stead sentenced Wilkinson to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, and mandated that he complete 30 days of rehabilitation activities. The judge emphasized Wilkinson’s potential for controlling his behavior, noting that Wilkinson had shown some remorse by voluntarily disclosing his actions. The court also imposed a sexual harm prevention order and ordered Wilkinson to register as a sex offender for ten years, underscoring the seriousness of the offense and the need for ongoing monitoring to protect the community.