SHEFFIELD MAN ADAM CURR JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

In July 2017, Adam Curr, a 31-year-old man from Sheffield, was sentenced to prison after admitting to possessing and distributing child abuse images and indecent images involving bestiality. The conviction followed a police investigation initiated by a tip-off from a member of the public. On November 2 of the previous year, authorities arrested Curr at his workplace and recovered two laptops from his residence in Southsea Road, Woodhouse.

Prosecutor Louise Gallagher informed Sheffield Crown Court that police forensic analysis revealed 277 Category A images—those depicting children being raped—on Curr’s devices. Among these were 254 moving images, or videos, constituting a significant portion of the Category A material. Additionally, police found 116 Category B images, with 94 being videos, as well as 621 Category C images, 40 of which were moving images. Curr also possessed 10 extreme pornographic images, some involving bestiality.

Most of the indecent images depicted children aged between 11 and 16, but at least one image showed a five-year-old child being abused. Ms. Gallagher stated that Curr had a 'peer-to-peer' file-sharing program on one of his computers. When seized, this program was actively downloading 31 indecent images, with an additional 11 images being downloaded by other users from Curr’s shares. Overall, 181 of the indecent images on Curr’s devices had been shared via this peer-to-peer network, which contributed to his charges of distributing indecent images.

The files were named in a manner indicative of their disturbing content, and Curr had also installed encryption software on his computer in an attempt to conceal his activity from authorities by hiding his IP address.

Defense attorney Richard Davies acknowledged Curr’s awareness of the problem, stating, “He is prepared to accept there is a problem here, and in some ways, he has confronted that.” Mr. Davies noted that Curr had supportive family members unaware of his offending, and mentioned that Curr had been going through a difficult period following the breakdown of romantic relationships. During this time, Curr dedicated himself to his job, working long hours and having little social life.

Curr pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to possessing and distributing indecent images during an earlier hearing. Recorder Richard Woodfall sentenced him to two years in prison and ordered him to be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years. The judge remarked, “Children, real children, actual children, are sexually abused to satisfy people, such as yourself, who enjoy looking at these images—in my view, for your own sexual gratification.”

Furthermore, Curr was subjected to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. Despite positive references from family and friends and his mitigation, the court determined that a custodial sentence was necessary due to his role in sharing these images via peer-to-peer networks.