COLIN MILLS FROM EVESHAM SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES IN WORCESTER

In March 2017, Colin Mills, a 48-year-old resident of West Street, Evesham, was found guilty of possessing and downloading indecent images depicting the gross abuse of children. The case revealed disturbing details about Mills' actions, which involved the acquisition of highly explicit and illegal material involving minors.

According to court records, Mills was convicted on three counts of downloading indecent images of children and one count of possessing extreme pornography. The proceedings took place at Worcester Crown Court after an initial appearance at the magistrates' court. The case was committed to the higher court for sentencing, where Judge Robert Juckes QC presided over the hearing.

Prosecutor Darron Whitehead outlined the police investigation, which began on December 29, 2014. Authorities received information indicating that an email account associated with Mills had been used to download Category A images—those considered the most severe, depicting penetrative sexual acts involving children. Police executed a search at Mills' residence and recovered several electronic devices, including a Nokia phone, a Nokia smartphone, and a Packard Bell computer.

During the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered a total of 106 images and videos classified as Category A, which involve the most serious forms of child abuse. Additionally, there were 213 images in Category B and a number of Category C images. The majority of the material depicted girls aged between 13 and 15, but some images showed children as young as seven, eight, and nine years old. The most disturbing images involved children under the age of one, with Mills having downloaded material showing pre-pubescent girls.

Judge Juckes emphasized the severity of the case, stating, “The worst kind of images involved children under the age of one, and the ones Mills had downloaded showed pre-pubescent girls. But he also noted that these images are still extremely serious.” The judge reflected on the shock that police officers must have experienced upon discovering Mills' activities, which had been ongoing for approximately two years. He explained that such material is produced through the gross abuse of children, and those who download it are, in effect, encouraging its creation.

In sentencing, Judge Juckes imposed an eight-month prison term, which was suspended for 18 months. Mills was also ordered to undertake 20 days of rehabilitation aimed at addressing the underlying reasons for his viewing habits. The judge highlighted the importance of this intervention, stating, “That is far and away the most likely thing that will cure you of the habit you have developed.”

Furthermore, Mills was ordered to pay £100 towards the prosecution costs of £340. He is required to sign the sex offender register for a period of ten years, which involves notifying police of his address and any changes thereto. An indefinite sexual harm prevention order was also issued, restricting Mills from possessing any device capable of internet access without prior notification to his offender manager. Any such device must display his search history and be available for police inspection upon request. Additionally, Mills is prohibited from using encryption or file-wiping software and must have no unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16.