HORWICH WOMAN ANNA MCKONE CAUGHT DISTRIBUTING CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN BOLTON

In a serious case that has shocked the community of Horwich and the wider Bolton area, Anna McKone, a woman residing on Catherine Street West in Horwich, was found to be involved in the distribution and possession of indecent images of children. The incident came to light after a series of police investigations and raids that uncovered disturbing evidence of her involvement in this criminal activity.

On the morning of April 20, 2019, at approximately 6:55 am, officers from the National Crime Agency executed a search warrant at McKone's residence following a tip-off received via the Kik social media platform. The tip indicated that someone had uploaded three indecent images of children to the platform, prompting an immediate investigation. The authorities traced these uploads back to McKone’s Virgin Media internet account, which was registered to her home address in Horwich.

During the raid, law enforcement officers seized a mobile phone, a laptop, and a tablet from her property. At that time, McKone was taken into custody on suspicion of possessing and distributing indecent images of children. She was subsequently released on bail, but further investigations revealed that the same internet connection was used to download additional illicit images in July and August of 2019. This prompted a second raid on October 28, 2019, during which a mini tablet and another laptop were confiscated.

Analysis of the devices uncovered a total of 175 images depicting children aged between five and 14 years old. Among these, one image was classified as more serious, falling into category B, and five other images were identified as prohibited content. Authorities also discovered a cleaning program on one of the devices, which had been used to delete images, and the tablet contained searches for terms such as “I’m a goddam paedophile,” indicating an attempt to conceal activity.

In a police interview, McKone chose not to comment on the allegations but did provide a written statement. She acknowledged responsibility for the indecent images and offered an explanation for her involvement, expressing some remorse for her actions. The court heard that her background was described as “difficult and complex,” and the judge, Bolton’s Honorary Recorder Judge Martin Walsh, emphasized that the best way to protect the public was through supervised community orders rather than custodial sentences.

McKone pleaded guilty to charges of distributing indecent images and two counts of downloading such images. She was sentenced to a three-year community order, which includes 50 days of rehabilitation activities. Additionally, she was placed on the sex offenders’ register and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for a period of seven years. Judge Walsh made it clear that while she was not being sentenced for production of the images, her actions contributed to the demand that fuels the production of such material. He warned that those involved in downloading such images are indirectly supporting the production of this harmful content and that serious custodial sentences are reserved for those who produce it.