HANLEY MAN ANTHONY RAWLINGSON SENT TO PRISON FOR CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN STOKE-ON-TRENT

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community, Anthony Rawlingson, a former employee of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, was convicted of possessing a large collection of indecent images of children. The incident came to light in November 2017, revealing the extent of his illegal activities and the serious nature of the material found on his personal devices.

Rawlingson, who resides on Gilman Street in Hanley, was subjected to a police raid on April 11. During the operation, authorities seized his laptop computer, which subsequently became the focal point of the investigation. Forensic analysis uncovered a staggering total of 562 indecent images depicting children in various states of abuse. Among these, 162 images and two videos were classified as Category A, indicating the most severe level of child exploitation, including scenes involving the rape of very young children, some as young as a few weeks old.

The court heard that the images involved extremely disturbing content, with many featuring very young children, and one particularly heinous image showing a baby being sexually abused. Prosecutor Peter McCartney detailed the findings, emphasizing the gravity of the material. He explained that Rawlingson, aged 56, was also involved in online conversations with other men about child abuse. Evidence recovered from his laptop included explicit Skype chats with a user named Rolo1960, which corresponded to Rawlingson’s year of birth. These conversations contained sexually explicit language and references to the abuse of children, further illustrating his disturbing online behavior.

McCartney stated, “On the laptop was evidence of Skype chats between a user called Rolo1960 – 1960 being the defendant’s year of birth – and another user. They were sexually explicit in nature. There were further Skype chats with other users referring to abuse of children and indecent images.”

Following his arrest, Rawlingson was charged and subsequently pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children, with the offenses spanning from February 2016 to April of the same year. His actions have been met with widespread condemnation, and his case underscores the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat child exploitation.

Judge Jinder Singh Boora sentenced Rawlingson to 12 months in prison, citing the seriousness of the images found on his device. The judge remarked, “On your laptop were indecent images of a very serious nature. It is hard to fathom how they could have been more serious.” The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by individuals involved in the distribution and possession of child abuse material, and the importance of vigilant law enforcement in protecting vulnerable victims.