STEVE KELLY FROM LAMBURNN SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN READING

In May 2019, Steven Kelly, a 58-year-old resident of Francomes Field in Lambourn, faced serious criminal charges related to the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. The case was brought before Reading Crown Court, where Kelly appeared on Tuesday, April 23, to be sentenced after pleading guilty to these offenses.

The court was informed that Kelly had been involved in the creation and sharing of highly disturbing images, some classified as Category A, which depict the most severe forms of child sexual abuse. These offenses took place within Lambourn over a period stretching from October 21, 2016, to May 20, 2017. Prosecutor Charles Royle detailed that police officers executed a search warrant at Kelly’s residence, during which they confiscated two mobile phones containing the illicit images. Although Kelly admitted to downloading the images, he maintained that he did not have any sexual interest in children, a claim the court found questionable.

Judge Emma Nott expressed her concern during the hearing, highlighting the evidence of Kelly’s online communications. She pointed out that some of Kelly’s text messages suggested he was requesting additional photographs from an unidentified individual, who appeared to be involved in producing the images by coercing children to pose. When asked if Kelly knew the identities of these individuals, prosecutor Royle responded that he did not. The judge noted that the lack of identification of the other parties involved indicated no remorse on Kelly’s part and suggested that he was not fully acknowledging the extent of his involvement.

Defense lawyer Nick Cotter presented character references from Kelly’s wife, his father, and sister-in-law, along with a letter from his employer, Brendan Powell, a Lambourn-based racehorse trainer. Cotter explained that Kelly had recently received an eviction notice following the publicity of his court case and that he was now unemployed. He added that Powell planned to relocate to Ireland to continue his career in the horseracing industry. Cotter emphasized that Kelly had been honest in his dealings with him and that, despite the gravity of the charges, Kelly’s character had been generally straightforward.

Judge Nott challenged this portrayal, pointing out that Kelly’s denial of any sexual interest in children was inconsistent with the evidence. She highlighted that the messages Kelly sent clearly indicated a sexual interest in minors. Cotter acknowledged this discrepancy, stating that Kelly needed to accept the reality of his actions—namely, that he sought, obtained, and shared the images. The court was also told that Kelly’s wife of 31 years supported him and pleaded with the judge to avoid immediate imprisonment.

Addressing Kelly directly, Judge Nott condemned his actions, stating that he had engaged in the distribution of images depicting “the most serious sexual exploitation of children,” which involved the vilest forms of abuse. She read aloud some of the graphic messages Kelly had sent to other individuals involved in similar offenses, revealing disturbing intentions and a desire to engage in contact offenses with children. The judge remarked on the worrying nature of these messages, which suggested Kelly was testing the waters for potential contact crimes and was interested in how to manipulate young girls.

In her sentencing remarks, Judge Nott emphasized that the shame and publicity resulting from this case could serve as a deterrent and help protect the community. She concluded by sentencing Kelly to two years in prison, though this was suspended for 18 months. Additionally, she ordered him to pay costs of £500 and a victim surcharge of £115. To further safeguard the community, Kelly was also placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for a period of seven years, restricting his future conduct and contact with minors.