ANDREW GREEN OF NEWPORT CAUGHT WITH OVER 400 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES SPARED JAIL
In December 2017, a man identified as Andrew Green, who has no fixed address, was found to possess an alarming collection of indecent images of children, totaling more than 400 pictures.Despite the severity of the offense, Green was spared immediate imprisonment and received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to multiple charges in Newport Magistrates Court on November 29.
According to prosecutor Kathryn Lane, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at a property located in the Duffryn area of Newport on the morning of November 27.
During this operation, police confiscated a mobile phone and a laptop belonging to Green.
An examination of these devices revealed disturbing evidence: two images classified as Category A, which are considered the most severe, along with three images categorized as B and a staggering 422 images classified as C.
Ms.
Lane further disclosed that authorities identified 58 images deemed 'prohibited,' which are images that are explicitly illegal to possess.
Additionally, nearly 4,000 other images were found on the devices that, while not classified as illegal, were nonetheless deemed offensive or concerning in nature.
During police interviews, Green admitted to the offenses.
He revealed that he had been viewing such images for approximately 15 years.
He explained that he had downloaded the images onto his phone and stored them in a dedicated folder.
Green estimated that he had saved around 5,000 images in total.
He also admitted that he occasionally felt guilty about his actions and would delete some images, though it appears many remained stored on his devices.
Green’s defense attorney, Gareth Williams, described his client as a man of 'good character' who had committed a 'small amount' of Category A images, emphasizing that most of the images were of Category C.
Williams pointed out that Green, aged 49, had acknowledged his unhealthy interest and accepted full responsibility for his actions.
The lawyer also highlighted the personal consequences Green had already faced, including the loss of his job and damage to his reputation, asserting that his life would never be the same.
At the sentencing hearing held at Newport Crown Court, Judge Daniel Williams, who noted that Green had no previous convictions, addressed the gravity of the offense.
He stated, 'I am sure you understand behind these images are real children, with real abuse taking place.' Ultimately, Green was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison, but the term was suspended for two years.
As part of his sentence, he is required to complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity program and will be registered as a sex offender for a period of seven years.
The court’s decision reflects the serious nature of the crime, balanced with considerations of Green’s personal circumstances and the fact that he will not serve time in custody immediately.
