SIMON BENT FROM BOURNEMOUTH SENTENCED FOR CHILD INDECENT IMAGES CRIME

The courtroom proceedings revealed disturbing details about Simon Bent, a 58-year-old resident of Bournemouth, who was found to possess an extensive and disturbing collection of indecent images involving children. Authorities uncovered that Bent’s devices contained over 100,000 images, many of which depicted the most severe forms of child abuse. During the hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court, it was disclosed that police officers, upon arresting Bent, observed his devices actively downloading additional indecent material, indicating ongoing engagement with such content.

Among the material recovered, investigators identified images of infants as young as six months being subjected to sexual abuse. The severity and disturbing nature of the content prompted strong remarks from the presiding judge, Susan Evans KC, who described Bent as “the market” for “real children suffering real and horrific abuse,” emphasizing that individuals like him are “the reason why it happens.”

Prosecutor Joscelyn Lee explained that the investigation was initiated after the National Crime Agency linked Bent’s IP address to the downloading of 709 indecent images. It was further revealed that Bent cooperated fully with law enforcement, providing passwords and admitting that the number of images he possessed was “significantly more” than initially estimated. The police found a disturbing array of material, including 548 images classified as Category A, which is considered the most serious, 330 images in Category B, 1,387 in Category C, and five images categorized as extreme pornography. The search terms used by Bent indicated he had accessed content related to child abuse, employed anti-forensic software to conceal his activities, and used a cleaning program to delete traces of his activity.

Simon Bent, who holds a degree in economics, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including making indecent photographs of a child, possessing extreme pornography, and creating indecent pseudo-photographs of a child. During sentencing, Bent expressed remorse, stating that he was sorry for being caught and that he was open to seeking help. Although he claimed not to have viewed the most serious images, he admitted to being aware of their existence.

In sentencing, the judge handed down a 16-month prison sentence, which was suspended for two years. As part of his rehabilitation, Bent was ordered to participate in up to 45 days of counseling or similar activities. He was also fined £9,000, ordered to pay £425 in legal costs, and placed under a sexual harm prevention order. Additionally, Bent was required to register as a sex offender for a period of 10 years. The judge acknowledged his cooperation with authorities and the fact that he had no prior convictions, factors that contributed to the decision to suspend the sentence and consider the possibility of rehabilitation.