SEAN ANDERSON FROM HARTLEPOOL SENTENCED FOR CHILD EXPLOITATION AND POSSESSION OF INDECENT IMAGES

In May 2021, Sean Anderson, 37, from Hartlepool, was sentenced to prison for downloading and possessing indecent images of children, even after his arrest and ongoing online activity.

Anderson was initially charged after police discovered over 6,000 indecent images stored across three mobile phones and two laptops during investigations in June and September 2019. His offending was partly uncovered when he reported a tablet stolen from a guest house in Darlington, where he was residing at the time.

Following his guilty plea and court proceedings, Anderson was released on bail and relocated to Hartlepool. Despite this, he continued to view illegal material online and failed to inform police of his current address, as required by law.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, explained that Anderson had added text to some of the images and engaged with other offenders through email and a messaging app. Police also found two detailed stories he had written, featuring a character named after himself, which contained graphic descriptions.

In June 2020, Anderson admitted to three counts of possessing indecent images. However, when police visited his home in February 2021, they found another 916 images on a laptop, taken between October 2020 and February 2021.

Anderson, of Queen Street, Seaton Carew, was sentenced to 21 months behind bars at Teesside Crown Court. This sentence included additional counts related to making indecent images and failure to notify authorities of his whereabouts.

Rob Mochrie, representing Anderson, noted that the probation service had assessed him as suitable for a sex offender treatment program, which was only feasible if he remained free. He remarked on Anderson’s repeated offending, describing it as potentially driven by an uncontrollable interest in children.

However, Judge Recorder Nicholas Lumley emphasized the serious nature of Anderson’s offences. He stated, “The sheer quantity of images, the duration over which you viewed them, and the encouragement you provided to others means you had to be jailed.”

Addressing Anderson directly, the judge warned, “Your behaviour encourages others to carry out those vile acts against children. You give them a market and therefore you play a part in abusing children in the way depicted.”