CHRISTCHURCH PAEDOPHILE CAUGHT WITH OVER 1,700 IMAGES
A paedophile has avoided jail after being caught with over 1,700 child sex abuse images.Stuart Archer, of Portfield Road, Christchurch, appeared at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday (January 9) charged with three counts of making indecent photographs/pseudo-photograph of a child.
The 49-year-old was identified after the National Crime Agency flagged his IP address to Thames Valley Police.
During sentencing, it was revealed that the NCA had become aware of a video of a child being shared online from Archer’s IP address.
He was arrested on December 19, 2023, at his home, and eight electronic items were seized and examined.
Archer possessed 128 Category A images, 172 Category B images, and 1,448 Category C images, totaling 1,748 images, with children aged between 3 and 17 years.
He has no previous convictions.
His defense claimed he had ‘quite a difficult life’ and had ‘struggled with his personal identity for quite some time’ and suffered from ‘severe depression,’ contemplating suicide at times.
He is undergoing therapy and receiving support now.
Several character references were submitted, and Archer wrote a ‘quite moving’ letter to the judge.
The court sentenced him to eight months for Category A images, with concurrent sentences of four months for Category B and two months for Category C.
He was also subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years and ordered to pay £150 in court costs.
Additionally, Archer must complete 40 rehabilitation activity days.
