CHRISTOPHER HICKS FROM GLOUCESTER FREED AFTER CHILD PORN CASE TO CARE FOR ILL WIFE
In a notable turn of events, Christopher Hicks, a 55-year-old resident of Henry Street in Gloucester, was released from custody following an appeal hearing at Gloucester Crown Court.The case originally involved serious allegations related to the possession of over 1,000 child sexual images, but the judge's decision to suspend his sentence was influenced by his recent change in attitude and his need to care for his wife, who had suffered a heart attack.
Last month, Hicks had been sentenced to four months in prison by Cheltenham magistrates after admitting to three counts of possessing indecent images of underage girls.
The magistrates' court had found sufficient grounds to impose immediate imprisonment, citing the seriousness of the offences.
However, during the appeal hearing on June 14, Recorder Andrew Langdon QC, sitting alongside two magistrates, decided to overturn the original sentence.
Instead of serving time behind bars, Hicks was placed on a three-year community order, which includes conditions such as completing up to 40 rehabilitation activity sessions and performing 50 hours of unpaid work.
Recorder Langdon explained that one of the reasons the magistrates initially opted for immediate imprisonment was Hicks' attitude towards his offending.
The court noted that Hicks had attempted to minimize and justify his actions, claiming that he downloaded the images for artistic purposes.
However, the judge highlighted a probation service report indicating that Hicks was now showing signs of a change in attitude towards his offending behavior.
Details of the police operation were presented by prosecutor Alistair Heggarty.
On September 25 of the previous year, police executed a search warrant at Hicks' residence.
During the search, Hicks denied downloading any indecent images.
Nonetheless, authorities seized six computers and other electronic devices, which ultimately contained a total of 1,079 illegal images.
Among these were two Category A videos, which are classified as the most serious type of child exploitation material, depicting young girls performing indecent acts.
Additionally, there were seven Category B images, with the remaining images falling into the less severe Category C classification.
All of these images had been stored on a USB stick labeled 'Girls to Keep.' The police investigation revealed that Hicks had been collecting these images over a period of approximately four and a half years, from March 2014 until September of the previous year.
During police interviews, Hicks claimed that he was a passionate photographer and that he and his wife wrote erotic fiction.
He insisted that although he downloaded the images, they were not sexual in nature and denied any interest in engaging in sexual activity with children.
Hicks' defense solicitor, Matthew Harbinson, emphasized that his client’s wife had recently suffered a heart attack and was in the early stages of recovery following surgery.
He pointed out that Hicks had been detained for five weeks and was unable to support his wife during her illness.
The solicitor also argued that Hicks had no prior convictions and that the initial sentence of immediate imprisonment for possessing just two Class A images was excessive and not aligned with sentencing guidelines.
During the hearing, Recorder Langdon acknowledged that Hicks' comments to police and probation officers regarding his attitude towards his offending were 'disspiriting' and 'troubling.' Nevertheless, he noted that Hicks' recent imprisonment and the severity of his initial sentence appeared to have had a significant impact on his outlook.
Harbinson expressed confidence that the punishment had prompted a genuine change in Hicks' attitude, stating, 'He knows no-one is going to be fooled about his attitudes of
