TOM ROE FROM BENFLEET CAUGHT WITH 1,330 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES AND EXTREME PORNOGRAPHY

In August 2022, a disturbing case emerged involving Tom Roe, a 23-year-old resident of Chestnut Cove in Benfleet, who was found to possess an alarming collection of indecent images of children. Roe's arrest was initially triggered by police during an unrelated investigation, but during the course of their search, they uncovered a significant and disturbing cache of illicit material on his mobile device.

According to proceedings at Basildon Crown Court, authorities discovered that Roe had amassed a total of 1,330 indecent images of minors. These images were categorized into different levels of severity, with 182 classified as Category A, indicating the most serious and explicit content, 263 as Category B, and 886 as Category C, which are considered less severe but still illegal. In addition to these, the police found two images depicting extreme pornography, further highlighting the disturbing nature of Roe's collection.

Investigations also revealed that Roe was actively communicating through messaging applications. During these exchanges, he engaged with individuals he believed to be young girls. Notably, two conversations were identified where Roe interacted with what appeared to be minors aged around 10 or 11 years old, with one account claiming to be an 11-year-old girl. These interactions raised serious concerns about Roe's intentions and potential attempts to engage minors in sexual conversations.

Throughout the court proceedings, the judge, Samantha Leigh, expressed her concern over Roe's actions, stating, “You went off the rails and I am sure when your parents realised they got hold of it. It was so bad you were almost sectioned.” Her comments underscored the severity of Roe's offending and the potential risk he posed to children.

Roe pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, three counts of distributing such images, possession of extreme pornographic material, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a minor, and attempting to cause a child aged 13 to 15 to view sexual images. His guilty pleas reflected the gravity of his actions.

In sentencing, Roe received a two-year suspended prison sentence. He was also ordered to participate in the Horizon programme, complete 60 days of rehabilitation activities, and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for a period of ten years. Additionally, a sexual harm prevention order was imposed for ten years, aiming to restrict and monitor his future conduct to protect the community from further harm.