SAMUEL BENNETT AVOIDS JAIL SENTENCE IN WESTCLIFF FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In January 2008, Samuel Bennett, a 28-year-old restaurant manager from Westcliff, was involved in a child pornography case where he possessed over 1,100 indecent images of children. The images, totaling 1,131, were stored on a memory stick and were viewed by Bennett while at work in a family-run restaurant in Southend.

The restaurant's management reported the incident after a footprint of the images—depicting children believed to be as young as ten—was left on the computer, which was discovered by a staff member. Authorities established that 46 of the images were classified at level four, with level five representing the most severe content.

When Bennett appeared at Basildon Crown Court, he avoided a prison sentence. Instead, he received a community order with supervision that will last three years. Bennett admitted to viewing the images during an internal investigation conducted by his employer.

He was arrested in February 2007 and previously pleaded guilty to nine counts of possessing indecent images of children. Investigations revealed that Bennett had collected these pictures over two years, with a brief period of reduced internet activity while his partner was pregnant.

Since his arrest, Bennett's contact with his two-year-old daughter has been strictly supervised by adults. During the hearing, Judge Michael Brooke described Bennett as “just a sad man succumbing to his perversion” and noted that he showed remorse and disgust for his actions.

The judge acknowledged the consequences Bennett faced, including losing his job and his apartment with his partner and child. He concluded that a custodial sentence would not aid Bennett’s rehabilitation and therefore opted for a lenient approach.

Bennett was ordered to complete a sex offenders’ internet programme, prohibited from using a computer to access any pornographic material, and required to register as a sex offender for five years. He was also warned that the court’s leniency was based on his remorse and efforts to rehabilitate.