ANTHONY SHORE FROM TROWBRIDGE ESCAPES JAIL AFTER REOFFENDING WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY MATERIAL

In a case that has once again highlighted the ongoing issues surrounding child exploitation and the challenges of managing offenders, Anthony Shore, a resident of Newtown, Trowbridge, has narrowly avoided imprisonment despite being caught with a significant collection of illegal material. The incident unfolded after Shore, who was already under a suspended sentence for similar offences, was found to have downloaded and stored thousands of indecent images and videos involving children.

Shore, aged 27 at the time, was arrested in January following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police into a website linked to child pornography. During the investigation, authorities traced an email address registered to Shore, which led to his arrest. When police executed a search warrant at his home, they seized computer hardware that contained over 5,000 indecent pictures and films of children. During police questioning, Shore admitted to downloading the illicit material, acknowledging his involvement in the possession and creation of such images.

The charges against Shore included one count of possession of indecent images and six counts of making indecent images of children. These offences spanned from July 16 of the previous year to January 7, indicating that Shore had reoffended during the period when he was under a suspended sentence. This period of offending occurred despite the fact that he was already serving a 26-week jail term, suspended for two years, which had been handed down by magistrates in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, in December 2008.

At Swindon Crown Court last Thursday, the prosecution, led by Claire Marlow, outlined the case and the timeline of Shore’s offences. The court was informed that Shore had not completed the sex offenders’ programme he was required to undertake as part of his previous sentence. Initially, the judge, Judge Douglas Field, was inclined to impose immediate imprisonment, citing the failure of Shore to benefit from the treatment conditions attached to his earlier sentence.

However, after hearing arguments from Shore’s defence lawyer, Alex Daymond, the judge reconsidered his position. Mr. Daymond explained that Shore had been unable to attend a proper sex offender’s course because no suitable programmes were available until May of the following year. Shore had subsequently moved to Gloucestershire for work, where he was enrolled in a condensed 35-week course that was shortened to just six weeks due to staffing issues. The course, which was meant to address his offending behaviour, was further compromised when the tutor was made redundant, leading to a compressed schedule from September 25 to October 31, 2009.

Mr. Daymond emphasized that Shore was an intelligent man who struggled to absorb the material in such a short timeframe. He also highlighted that Shore had experienced personal difficulties, including a breakup and the death of a loved one, which contributed to his relapse into viewing the illegal images. The defence argued that incarcerating Shore would be unjust, as any sentence would be measured in months, and that he would benefit more from a proper, structured treatment programme.

Judge Douglas Field ultimately decided to modify his initial stance. After considering the defence’s arguments, he acknowledged that the facilities available to Shore had not been adequate to ensure effective treatment. Consequently, he imposed a three-year community order, which includes supervision and participation in a sex offenders’ treatment programme. Additionally, Shore was ordered to register as a sex offender for five years and to be subject to a sexual offences prevention order, underscoring the seriousness of his offences and the ongoing risk he poses.