TRING MAN SIMON JAMES SENTENCED FOR CHILD INDECENT IMAGE OFFENSES IN ST ALBANS

In July 2019, a resident of Tring, Simon James, was handed a prison sentence of 14 months after being found guilty of downloading indecent images of children. The case was heard at St Albans Crown Court, where James, aged 41 and residing on Frogmore Street in Tring, appeared on Friday, July 5, to face the charges.

James had previously pleaded guilty at St Albans Magistrates’ Court on May 14 to three counts of downloading indecent images between March 2018 and October 2018. Additionally, he admitted to breaching a sexual harm prevention order that had been imposed on him. The court proceedings revealed that officers had visited James’ residence on October 29, 2018, as part of the enforcement of his existing sexual harm prevention order, which had been issued in March 2017.

During the visit, officers encountered resistance from James, who was initially reluctant to allow them entry. It was another resident who opened a communal door, after which James chose to invite the officers inside. As part of the enforcement process, James handed over his mobile phone, which was subject to scrutiny due to the conditions of his sexual harm prevention order. The officers’ concerns were confirmed when they discovered sexually explicit messages on the device.

The mobile phone was seized and examined in detail. Investigators uncovered a disturbing collection of images, including two classified as Category A, which is considered the most severe level of indecency. There were also three images categorized as Category B and six images falling under Category C. The phone also contained search terms such as ‘child nude’ and ‘preteen girls nude,’ indicating intent and interest in illegal material.

Further investigation led to James’s arrest on January 16, 2019. His prior convictions included three counts of downloading indecent images or pseudo images of children, two counts of possession of indecent images of children, and two counts of possessing extreme pornography. As a result of his criminal activities, James was placed on the sex offenders register for a period of ten years and was subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years. His recent sentencing underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat child exploitation and protect vulnerable individuals from such heinous crimes.