CONNOR STEPHENS FROM LINCOLNSHIRE CAUGHT WITH 21,000 CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IMAGES AND VIDEOS
A 21-year-old man from Lincolnshire, Connor Stephens, has been found in possession of a staggering 21,000 indecent images and videos depicting children.The disturbing discovery was made during routine monitoring conducted by police teams, who uncovered the material on devices that Stephens had deliberately concealed from authorities.
Stephens was already under the supervision of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), a legal measure designed to restrict his activities due to previous offences.
However, in November 2023, authorities found that he had violated the terms of this order.
Investigators from Lincolnshire Police revealed that two of Stephens' devices had been hidden from the management teams responsible for overseeing sex offenders, known as MOSOVO.
These devices were eventually recovered and contained explicit material involving minors.
In an attempt to divert suspicion, Stephens claimed that he had been subjected to a sexual assault in an unrelated incident.
However, further police investigations, including the analysis of CCTV footage, disproved his allegation, confirming that his claim was false.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Stephens faced multiple charges.
He pleaded guilty to three breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order, possession of child sexual abuse material, prohibited content, and extreme pornography.
Additionally, he was convicted of perverting the course of justice and breaching a suspended sentence order.
The case was heard at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday, July 11.
As a result of his convictions, Stephens was sentenced to five years in prison.
He was also handed an extended five-year licence period upon release and was subjected to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order to prevent further offending.
Lincolnshire Police highlighted the collaborative effort involved in bringing Stephens to justice.
They praised the work of multiple police units, including MOSOVO, the Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT), and the Digital Forensics Unit (DFU).
Detective Sergeant Nicola Stafford emphasized the importance of this interdepartmental cooperation, stating, “MOSOVO worked to manage Stephens in line with his SHPO, and a digital media investigator within POLIT conducted cloud extractions, revealing thousands of indecent images.
The DFU went above and beyond to ensure urgent device downloads and uploads were completed within tight court deadlines.
Prison intelligence officers also assisted in interviewing Stephens while he was on remand.
It truly was a brilliant example of teamwork spanning several months from November 2023 to now.”
