SIMON MACHARIA SENTENCED IN ASHFORD FOR CHILD SEX IMAGE CRIMES AND VOYEURISM

In December 2018, Simon Macharia, a resident of Ashford, was sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of multiple serious offenses related to child exploitation and voyeurism. The case revealed disturbing details about Macharia’s actions, which included secretly installing a camera within his home to capture images of a child visitor.

Police investigations led to a raid on Macharia’s residence in St Barnabus Close, Ashford, where officers uncovered a significant collection of illegal material. It was discovered that Macharia had downloaded thousands of images depicting the sexual abuse and rape of children, some of which were classified at the most severe level of severity. The police also found videos, including one six-minute, eight-second clip that graphically depicted the abuse of a young child.

During the court proceedings at Canterbury Crown Court, Macharia, aged 46, admitted to 12 charges involving the possession of indecent images and videos, as well as three charges of voyeurism. Prosecutor Angela Knight explained that Macharia had concealed a camera inside a smoke alarm, which he used to secretly record and then save the illicit content onto his computer. When questioned by police, Macharia expressed shock at the volume of disturbing material stored on his device, indicating a lack of awareness or remorse.

One of the most distressing pieces of evidence was a title of a video that explicitly showed the abuse of a small child, which added to the severity of the case. The emotional toll of the crimes was also highlighted during the trial, as the mother of one of Macharia’s victims read a heartfelt letter describing the profound impact the abuse had on her and her family. She expressed feelings of guilt, believing she had failed in her protective role as a mother, and shared that the trauma of her child’s victimization would stay with her forever.

Judge Simon James, presiding over the case, addressed Macharia directly, emphasizing the danger he posed to society. The judge described Macharia as a “high risk” for future offenses and underscored the long-lasting psychological harm caused by such crimes. He stated, “Having read and heard the impact on those affected, it is clear to me that the sense of violation that this sort of offence causes has a clear capacity to cause significant, serious and long-lasting psychological harm.”

Following his conviction, Macharia was referred to the child safeguarding authority, which will determine whether he will be permitted to work with children in the future after his release. As he was taken away to begin his sentence, a member of one of the victim’s families shouted abuse, reflecting the community’s outrage and the profound impact of his crimes.