March 2015 Woman avoids jail after downloading animal porn and child abuse images including images of babies A YOUNG Hampshire woman has today avoided a jail sentence for viewing and storing more than 1,000 indecent images of children and animals. Amy Hickson, now 20, of Grey Farm Close, New Cheriton, was 17 and 18 when she stored, viewed and created PowerPoint presentations of indecent and extreme images of children as young as one and pornographic images of animals. She had also searched on Google and YouTube for child abuse, the court heard. Hickson pleaded guilty at Winchester Crown Court to 13 offences, which first came to light after British police received intelligence from American authorities which led to a search of her parents’ home. Her computer was seized after an email address police were searching for was traced to her. Some of the images were also discovered at that time. She was arrested in February 2013 for the offences which occurred between May 2012 and June 2013. Hickson was today sentenced to a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. She was also ordered to carry out 200 hours community service and attend a women’s group for 12 sessions. She was also made subject of a sex offences prevention order for five years, ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years, and pay £750 costs and a £100 victim surcharge. Judge Susan Evans said: “There are babies in these images, two-year-olds, three-year-olds, four and five-year-olds. They are not all young children, but there are some very young children so it does make it very serious indeed. “These children are the victims and people do not know what happens to them. But I know for sure they suffer serious physical and emotional damage from what they suffer in these appalling pictures.” The offences are made up of eight charges of making indecent photos of a child, one charge of a pseudo image of a child and two counts of possessing prohibited images of children. Two of the counts each referred to over 500 images. Hickson also pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing 16 “extreme, disgusting or obscene” pornographic images involving animals including dogs, being abused and tortured. Dawn Hyland, prosecuting, said that the indecent images of children included 219 of category A seriousness, 185 at category B and 199 at category C. The prohibited images included 523 cartoon images portraying child abuse. Andrew Turton, defending, said the offences had been “hanging over” Hickson for two years and that she had dropped out of her course at university as a result. He also said her chosen career choice, which was not revealed, is now “out of the question”. “It is unusual to have someone who is a child, who is a youth, being involved with this type of offending,” he said. “There is no suggestion that Amy Hickson is a danger to anybody – and certainly not a danger to animals, babies or children.” He provided Judge Evans with references from “responsible people for who she has been a babysitter for on many occasions”. “They still would have her look after their children and babies, and that is a judgement they have made based on their knowledge of her,” he said. The computer Hickson used to store and view the images, which was bought for her at the start of her sixth form studies, will be destroyed. February 2015 Woman faces jail for possessing extreme animal porn and more than 600 indecent images of children A woman is facing prison after she admitted possessing ‘extreme’ pornographic images involving animals and more than 600 indecent images of children Amy Hickson, 20, of Alresford in Hampshire, admitted 13 charges which included making indecent photos of a child and possessing prohibited images and a movie of children.  Hickson also admitted possessing 16 pornographic images involving animals which were classed as ‘extreme, disgusting or obscene,’ Winchester Crown Court heard.  The offensive images included one showing a person performing a sexual act with a dog and 15 involving other animals.  The court heard the images showed sexual acts being carried out in an ‘explicit or realistic’ manner.  Hickson, of New Cheriton, changed her plea today just before she was due to stand trial. She admitted all 13 charges.  The charges included eight counts of making indecent photographs of a child – one count alone involving 596 images.   One charge was for making indecent pseudo photographs of a child. Hickson also admitted a further two counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child and admitted the two charges of possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals. The images were from all three categories; A, B and C – which indicate different levels of seriousness.  Category A refers to pictures showing penetration and images involving an animal or sadism.  Those covered by B include images involving non-penetration.  C is the least serious, and is used for images not covered by the first two categories. Judge Susan Evans QC said: ‘You will receive some credit for your guilty pleas. ‘I am not going to say how much at this stage and I am going to adjourn this case for a pre-sentence report.’  Hickson was granted conditional bail to appear back at court on March 6.