ATHANASIOS KONSTANTINIDIS SENTENCED IN SOUTHPORT FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES
A man named Athanasios Konstantinidis, living in Southport, attempted to conceal his phone to avoid detection by police after they uncovered numerous videos depicting child sexual abuse.Despite being previously caught with images of child abuse in June 2019, a judge had decided not to imprison him at that time.
However, instead of heeding legal warnings to prevent further offending, the 57-year-old acquired a new mobile device the following year, which he used to download hundreds of child abuse images and videos.
Prosecutor Derek Jones explained that Konstantinidis concealed his new phone from officers during monitored meetings and failed to disclose its existence.
The police had received intelligence about distribution and sharing of indecent images, leading to the tracking of an IP address linked to the defendant.
When police executed a search at his Southport home on October 28, 2020, Konstantinidis was caught attempting to hide the phone.
Mr.
Jones stated, 'He then tried to hide the mobile phone in a freezer in the kitchen.
This attempt was seen by an officer, and the phone was seized.' Analysis of the device revealed a significant collection of illegal content, including 557 Category A images—the most severe—and hundreds of Category B and C images, specifically 929 and 1,514 respectively.
The phone also contained 284 videos, one of which depicted a girl, estimated to be around eight or nine years old, being raped while visibly distressed.
Additionally, Konstantinidis had sent two Category C images via email to other individuals.
The court was informed that in one email sent in August 2020, he attached an image with the caption 'Enjoy.' Defence lawyer Charles Lander noted that Konstantinidis had admitted all charges promptly upon arrest and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
He emphasized that while the gravity of the offenses could not be diminished, Konstantinidis was socially isolated due to his role as a caregiver.
Mr.
Lander explained that he was the primary carer for his wife, who suffers from chronic leukaemia, and that he had become increasingly isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure her safety.
This caregiving role led him to leave his employment, and he was also grieving the loss of his mother in Greece, whom he could not visit before her passing due to travel restrictions.
These circumstances, along with pandemic-related delays in his rehabilitative courses, contributed to his offending.
Mr.
Lander requested understanding of these personal challenges, stating, 'All I submit on his behalf is the background against which he did what he did.' Recorder Eric Lamb, the judge, criticized Konstantinidis for not using the second chance he was given by the courts to change his behavior.
He pointed out that Konstantinidis had been granted a suspended sentence and a sexual harm prevention order, intended to serve as a constant reminder of the need to resist temptation.
The judge remarked, 'The actions of people like Konstantinidis fuel the abuse of children,' and added that "without people like you who take an interest in these images, there would not be this abuse against children." Konstantinidis, of Ashdown Close, Southport, faced charges including possession, creation, and distribution of indecent images of children, as well as multiple breaches of his sexual harm prevention order.
He was sentenced to a total of 32 months in prison.
