CRAIG JOHNSON FROM KESWICK AND MANOR CHARE JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN CUMBRIA AND NEWCASTLE

In a disturbing case that highlights the ongoing issue of child exploitation and illegal pornography, Craig Johnson, a 29-year-old man from Manor Chare, Newcastle, was sentenced to prison after being found in possession of numerous indecent images of children and extreme pornography. The incident unfolded during a visit to the Lake District, specifically in Keswick, where Johnson was staying at the time.

On July 6, police officers executed a warrant at the address in Keswick, Cumbria, where Johnson was residing during his overnight stay. The officers uncovered a collection of highly disturbing images stored on his electronic devices, which included child abuse material. This discovery led to Johnson’s arrest and subsequent charges. The investigation revealed that Johnson had been in possession of indecent images of children, with the charges spanning from May 25, 2014, to July 4, 2016.

Johnson, who initially appeared before magistrates in Carlisle, admitted to possessing indecent images of children and making three additional indecent images. The images found ranged across categories A, B, and C, with Category A being the most severe, and included approximately 1,200 images of the most serious kind. Furthermore, Johnson pleaded guilty to possessing an extreme pornographic image depicting sexual activity involving a person and a horse, a particularly disturbing offense.

Following his guilty plea, Johnson was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on a Friday to two and a half years in prison. The court also ordered that he be placed on the sexual offenders’ register indefinitely, reflecting the seriousness of his crimes. Additionally, a sexual harm prevention order was imposed to restrict his future conduct and protect the community from potential harm.

Earlier, in December 2016, Johnson had already admitted to charges related to indecent images. He appeared before magistrates in Carlisle, where he faced multiple counts of possessing extreme pornography, which was described as grossly offensive, disgusting, or otherwise obscene. The court heard that Johnson’s offenses involved the creation and possession of indecent photographs, including pseudo-photographs of a child, with the earliest charges dating back to May 25, 2014, and the latest to July 4, 2016. The images were found at an address in Keswick, and the severity of the images ranged from Category C to Category A, with over 1,200 images classified as Category A.

Johnson’s guilty pleas to all charges led to his upcoming sentencing scheduled for January 20 at Carlisle Crown Court, where the full extent of his crimes will be formally addressed. His case underscores the importance of law enforcement efforts in tackling the distribution and possession of illegal and harmful images, especially those involving children.