ASHLEY RICHARDSON FROM DERBY SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGE OFFENSES

In a disturbing case heard at Derby Crown Court, Judge Andrew Hamilton expressed his profound disgust upon viewing a collection of indecent images of children hoarded by Ashley Richardson, a young man now aged 20. The judge, visibly shaken, looked at the bundle of photographs and videos placed before him on the courtroom desk before stating, "I feel rather sick," highlighting the severity of the material involved.

The court proceedings revealed that Richardson had amassed a total of 1,284 images and videos depicting children in various states of indecency, some classified under the most severe categories of abuse. Prosecutor Stephen James explained that these illicit materials were discovered by Richardson’s friends during routine internet browsing. According to Mr. James, one of Richardson’s friends was browsing at his home when he accessed the browser history and uncovered links to websites labeled as containing 'child porn' and 'nude kids.'

The friend confronted Richardson about the content, prompting the defendant to claim that a mutual acquaintance had downloaded the images and that he intended to delete them. However, just a few days later, Richardson confessed to his friend that he was responsible for downloading the images himself and sought assistance in removing them. The friend, feeling unable to help, later returned to Richardson’s residence and observed that the images remained on his device.

Authorities were alerted to the situation by staff members at the school attended by Richardson and his peers. When Richardson was arrested on June 9 of the previous year, he reportedly told police, "I have ruined my life, haven’t I?" During a search of his home, officers discovered that Richardson had been downloading indecent images of children for over a year. The images ranged across different categories of severity: 965 images were classified as Category One, the lowest level of indecency; 15 images fell into Category Two; 101 into Category Three; 143 into Category Four; and 24 into Category Five.

Richardson, residing on Hartington Street in Derby, admitted to police that he had been downloading and possessing these images when he was 17 and 18 years old. His defense lawyer, Dominic Shelley, highlighted Richardson’s troubled background, stating, "Due to a poor childhood, he suffered in his education. He has now taken himself to college and is re-sitting English, maths, and art. This young man is trying to work out why it was he was offending in the way he did."

Judge Hamilton, in his sentencing, imposed a three-year community order on Richardson. The judge condemned the material found, describing some of the photographs as "absolutely disgusting." He addressed Richardson directly, saying, "You said when you were arrested, 'I’ve ruined my life,' but I wonder if you really thought about the people who appear in the pictures. Their lives have been ruined. Not directly by you, but by people like you looking at these pictures and getting enjoyment from them."

While acknowledging Richardson’s youth and potential for rehabilitation, the judge emphasized the seriousness of his actions. He ordered Richardson to participate in the NSPCC Dove Project, which works with individuals involved in child sex offenses. Additionally, Richardson was placed under a sexual offenders’ prevention order, which prohibits him from using the internet for three years, from seeking the company or employment of anyone under 18 for ten years, and from registering his address with police for five years.