BRADLEY CHALLIS FROM BRAINTREE SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN CHELMSFORD

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Braintree, Bradley Challis, aged 24, was convicted of a series of heinous crimes involving the sexual abuse of a young boy and the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. The offences came to light after police investigations that uncovered a pattern of disturbing behavior spanning several years.

Challis's criminal activities included a horrifying incident in February 2016, when he entered a child's bedroom in the dead of night with the intent to sexually assault and photograph the sleeping boy. The young victim, whose identity remains protected for legal reasons, was subjected to this traumatic assault while he was vulnerable and unaware. Challis's actions did not stop there; he also took photographs of the boy during the assault, further compounding the severity of his crimes.

The case was brought before Chelmsford Crown Court, where Challis pleaded guilty to a total of nine charges on May 30. These charges encompassed two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, one count of taking indecent images of a child, four counts of creating indecent images of children, and two counts of distributing such images. The court heard that Challis's criminal conduct was not limited to the assault but extended into a disturbing online activity involving the viewing and sharing of indecent material.

Police arrested Challis on March 14 of the previous year after officers responded to his mother’s residence, located near his own home in Braintree. The officers explained that the arrest was prompted by the discovery of an IP address linked to the property being used to access illegal images of children. Challis, who was present at the scene, did not deny his involvement. He admitted to the officers that he was the individual they were seeking, stating, “I have been doing this for a while now, I have been stupid.”

Further police interviews revealed that Challis had been accessing and viewing indecent images and videos of children for approximately two to three years. He disclosed the web address of a site he frequented about three or four times weekly, where he could view content uploaded by other users. Challis also admitted to engaging in conversations with other users on the platform, exchanging indecent images of children, and building online relationships, including one with a user he called Rocky. Although he admitted to chatting with this individual, no physical meeting ever occurred.

The court was informed that Challis’s online activities involved viewing both still images and videos depicting children from the most serious category, Category A, to less severe categories, including images of babies. He confessed that viewing these images provided him with sexual gratification. The prosecutor, Jamie Sawyer, highlighted that Challis’s online behavior extended to attempting to establish contact with children through chat, which he described as building a relationship with the minor known as Rocky.

The most disturbing aspect of Challis’s crimes was the sexual assault on a sleeping young boy in the spring of the previous year. According to the prosecution, Challis described how he lowered the boy’s pajamas, inserted his finger into the child's mouth, and kissed him on the lips. He also took photographs of the incident on his phone, intending to view them later. This act of physical abuse marked a grave escalation from his previous online offenses.

Judge Morgan, presiding over the case, addressed Challis directly during sentencing, emphasizing the gravity of his actions. The judge noted that Challis had concealed his deviant behavior from his family and had sought treatment for his addiction to viewing child abuse images. However, the judge pointed out that Challis had crossed a dangerous line from online viewing to actual physical abuse, a step that many who consume such images do not take.

Challis was sentenced to a total of five years in prison. The court imposed four-and-a-half years for the sexual assault on the young boy, two years for the second count of sexual activity, and twelve months for creating indecent images, all to run concurrently. Additional sentences included three months for making indecent images, six months for each of three counts of making images, and six and three months for distribution offenses, with all these sentences served concurrently but consecutively to the primary sentence. Furthermore, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was issued against Challis, lasting ten years, restricting his future conduct. The court also ordered the destruction of all devices containing hundreds of indecent images and videos of children, ensuring that such material would no longer be accessible.

This case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat online and offline child exploitation, and the community remains vigilant against such heinous crimes. Challis’s actions have caused significant harm to his victims and have prompted a stern legal response to prevent further offenses.