CHELMSFORD MAN BENJAMIN SHERMAN ESCAPES JAIL AFTER CHILD ABUSE IMAGE SCANDAL

In a case that has shocked the community of Chelmsford, Benjamin Sherman, a 37-year-old former political candidate and current deputy car parks supervisor for Chelmsford City Council, was found to possess a disturbing collection of over 200 images and videos depicting child abuse. The revelation came during a court hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court, where Sherman pleaded guilty to charges related to the possession of these illicit materials.

Despite the severity of the allegations, Sherman was not sentenced to immediate imprisonment. Instead, Judge Charles Gratwicke ordered him to participate in a specialized internet sex offenders' treatment program and mandated that he be registered as a sex offender for a period of five years. The judge emphasized the gravity of viewing such material, stating, “Nobody who views that material can feel anything other than revulsion and sickness – seeing those young girls forced to behave in the way that they did. It wasn’t you who forced them to, but if there weren’t people like you interested, those who ply their trade of finding children and exploiting them would cease to do so.”

However, the judge also acknowledged Sherman’s guilty plea and his previously good character, which contributed to the decision to avoid jail time. Sherman, who has two children and was previously associated with the Reduce Tax on Beer Party, in which he stood for election in Chelmsford in 2010, was also given a suspended sentence of four months in prison, which will not be enforced unless he commits further offenses within two years.

According to court records, Sherman, formerly residing on Hillside Grove in Chelmsford and now living in Suffolk, had downloaded 51 images and 189 videos over a span of five years. Prosecutor Richard Stevens detailed that police executed a raid on Sherman’s Chelmsford residence last year, arriving just before he returned home. During the search, Sherman reportedly admitted, “I’ve downloaded things which are probably illegal.”

Further investigation revealed that the illicit files were stored on a tower hard drive located in the dining room. Sherman disclosed during police interviews that he had been viewing such material for approximately five or six years, with a particular interest in girls aged between 13 and 17, although he also acknowledged that some images involved children as young as four or five years old.

Defense attorney Evelyn Hicks argued that Sherman’s curiosity was the primary motivation behind his actions, noting that he had not secured the files with passwords, making them easily accessible. She added that Sherman has since been re-educated about the harm caused to children through such images and expressed his desire to further educate himself by undertaking relevant courses. She also confirmed that Sherman’s marriage is now over, and he is the father of two young children aged four and two.

In response to the incident, a spokesperson for Chelmsford City Council stated, “These are appalling offences and as soon as the council became aware, Mr. Sherman was suspended from service, pending a thorough disciplinary investigation.” The case has raised serious concerns about safeguarding and the responsibilities of public officials in the community of Chelmsford.