SIMON HANNA FROM HEATON CAUGHT DOWNLOADING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN BOLTON

In August 2019, a disturbing case unfolded involving Simon Hanna, a resident of Heaton, who was found to have engaged in the illegal possession and download of indecent images of children. The incident came to light when police officers visited Hanna’s home following a tip-off that linked his Samsung mobile phone to the distribution and storage of such illicit material.

On November 15, 2017, law enforcement officials conducted a search at Hanna’s residence, located on Lonsdale Road in Heaton. During the investigation, they discovered that although the images had been deleted from the device, the phone had previously received a total of 81 images categorized as the most severe and illegal content. Specifically, 19 images fell under Category A, indicating the most serious material involving children and infants, while 19 others were classified as Category B, and 43 as Category C. The content depicted young children and babies, raising grave concerns about Hanna’s involvement.

Prosecutor Andrew Mackintosh outlined the case to Bolton Crown Court, revealing that Hanna, aged 25 at the time, initially denied any wrongdoing. He claimed to his partner that an unknown individual must have been using an old email account associated with his device, attempting to distance himself from the allegations. However, under police questioning, Hanna eventually admitted to having received the images through the Kik messenger app. He stated that he was not a paedophile and claimed to be undergoing mental health counseling through his workplace to address what he described as his difficulties.

Following his guilty plea to three counts of making indecent images of children, Hanna was sentenced to a three-year community order. As part of his punishment, he was mandated to participate in a sex offender treatment program and undertake 25 days of rehabilitation activities. Additionally, Hanna was placed on the sex offenders’ register and subjected to a five-year sexual harm prevention order, restricting his activities and monitoring his behavior.

Judge Graeme Smith addressed Hanna directly, emphasizing the severity of the issue. He remarked, “Regrettably, this court sees people in your condition almost every day of the week. There is an epidemic of child pornography available on the internet. Although the vast majority of individuals who appear before this court only possess these images rather than creating them, by doing so, you are contributing to a market that fuels the proliferation of these vile and illegal images.”