SEAN BONNEY FROM LODE CAUGHT WITH OVER 12,000 CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN SHOCKING CRIME

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Lode, Sean Bonney, a 73-year-old resident of Fairhaven Close, was found to have accumulated an alarming collection of over 12,000 images depicting child abuse and extreme pornography. The court proceedings revealed that Bonney’s obsession with such material began after these images unexpectedly appeared on a cooking website he frequently visited.

According to court reports, Bonney downloaded a vast number of images, totaling 12,727, which ranged from less severe to highly extreme content involving children. The material also included 80 videos and nearly 3,000 images classified as extreme pornography. The court heard that Bonney would spend considerable time browsing through this illicit content on his computer, often deleting images as he viewed them, suggesting a compulsive behavior driven by curiosity and obsession.

The case was further complicated by the fact that the website Bonney used was compromised in March 2010. During a period of 18 hours, the site was 'hijacked,' resulting in the upload of thousands of pornographic images. Police investigations traced the hijacking to 2,223 IP addresses, one of which was identified as belonging to Bonney. This connection led authorities to seize his computer in May 2011 for forensic analysis.

The forensic examination uncovered the extensive collection of illicit images and videos stored on Bonney’s device. Prosecutor Thomas Brown explained that Bonney’s actions appeared to be triggered by the sudden appearance of the images on the hijacked site, which he then explored further. Brown noted that Bonney admitted to viewing the images out of curiosity, but his behavior escalated into an obsession over time.

Further investigations revealed that Bonney had searched for terms like “pre-teen models” online, indicating a disturbing interest in minors. Despite these findings, Bonney’s defense argued that his involvement was minimal, claiming he was on the hijacked site for only about 20 minutes and did not seek out the material intentionally. The defense also emphasized that Bonney has no prior history of such offenses and that his actions were not motivated by a sexual interest in children.

Judge Gareth Hawkesworth acknowledged the seriousness of the case but described Bonney’s conduct as being at the “bottom end” of this type of offense. He sentenced Bonney to a five-month prison term, suspended for two years, and imposed a two-year supervision order. Bonney is also required to complete an internet sex offender’s treatment program and is subject to a 10-year sexual offences prevention order. This order prohibits him from being unsupervised with children under 16, working with minors, or deleting his internet history, which must be accessible to child protection authorities and police at all times. Additionally, Bonney must register his address with the police for the next decade, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.