SHOCKING CHILD TORTURE IMAGES FOUND IN NEW LONGTON: STEPHEN LORD JAILED FOR 27 MONTHS

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of New Longton, Stephen Lord, aged 51, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison after being found in possession of an appalling collection of child abuse images. The case, heard at Preston Crown Court, revealed that Lord’s digital cache contained a staggering 105,000 images depicting the most heinous acts of child torture, sexual assault, and abuse.

Authorities uncovered the extent of Lord’s disturbing collection after a police raid on his bungalow on Latimer Drive in New Longton last September. During the investigation, Lord attempted to justify his actions by claiming he had only viewed the images out of “morbid curiosity.” However, a thorough examination of his devices painted a far more sinister picture. Investigators discovered that Lord had deliberately used specific search terms to locate these images, which he then downloaded from a file-sharing website. The sheer volume and nature of the material indicated a prolonged period of engagement with such content, spanning over 15 years.

Judge Pamela Badley, presiding over the case, addressed Lord directly in court, stating, “You accessed those photographs because of your particular interest – whatever that interest was is something you and your conscience are going to have to explore. It was a curiosity which lasted 15 years. The material which was the subject of your interest was not only filthy material, but involves children being abused. Tortured is not too strong a word to describe what was happening to babies and young children forced to engage in sexual activity. Where these children are no one knows, but they are real children in real pain and real suffering.”

Lord, who appeared in court walking with a crutch, was required to remove all possessions from his pockets before proceedings commenced. Prosecutor Emma Keogh outlined the investigation, revealing that during an initial police interview, Lord admitted to accessing indecent images via a file-sharing network. He was granted bail to allow for the analysis of his electronic devices, which proved to be a lengthy process due to the number of images spread across four different devices.

Nearly a year later, Lord expressed shock at the volume of images he had downloaded, suggesting some duplicates. When questioned about specific images, he claimed he could not remember viewing them. The reviewing lawyer assigned to the case testified that she had watched all the footage and expressed her distress over the material. A police officer involved in the case also described the images as the worst she had ever encountered.

In total, Lord admitted to possessing 21,255 Category A images—the most severe classification—along with 39,360 images in Category B and 44,580 in Category C, all related to child abuse, over a period from February 2000 to September 2015. Additionally, he confessed to possessing 860 extreme pornographic images involving both humans and animals, 202 prohibited images of children, and a staggering 105,195 indecent images of minors.

This case underscores the disturbing extent of online child exploitation and the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat such heinous crimes. Stephen Lord’s sentencing marks a significant step in addressing the severity of his offenses and the harm inflicted upon innocent children.