DAVID GREENWOOD FROM BLACKBURN ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE HAVING OVER 3,000 INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN
In a case that has shocked the local community of Blackburn, a 77-year-old man named David Greenwood has been allowed to walk free from court despite possessing an extensive collection of indecent photographs of young girls.The images, which number over 3,000, depict victims aged between six and 12 years old, and were found stored on Greenwood's computer during a police investigation.
Greenwood, a great-grandfather residing on Fowler Height Close in Blackburn, pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the possession and creation of indecent images of children.
Specifically, he admitted to two counts of making such images and three counts of possessing them, with the offences spanning from June 2016 to June 2017.
According to prosecutor David Clarke, the police executed a search warrant at Greenwood’s residence on June 13, 2017.
During the raid, officers seized several electronic devices, including computers and storage media.
When questioned, Greenwood was asked about his online activities, particularly his use of a social media platform called Chat Step.
He confirmed that he had been using this site to communicate with other individuals involved in sharing inappropriate material.
Mr.
Clarke explained that the images found on Greenwood’s devices primarily featured young girls aged between six and 12.
The investigation revealed that Greenwood had employed search terms such as ‘young, good looking girl models’ to locate these images.
Furthermore, he engaged in chat conversations on Yahoo Chat, where he discussed and shared such material with others.
During police interviews, Greenwood admitted to accessing these websites and downloading indecent images for a period of ten years.
He claimed to have deleted some of the files, asserting that he no longer had access to them.
However, investigators used specialized software to recover the deleted images, confirming the extent of his involvement.
Despite the severity of the charges, Judge Simon Medland opted for a community-based sentence.
Greenwood was sentenced to a two-year community order, which includes 30 days of rehabilitation activities aimed at addressing his behavior.
Additionally, he was issued a five-year sexual harm prevention order, restricting his access to certain online platforms and activities.
The court also ordered the destruction of Greenwood’s computer to prevent further access to illicit material.
This case has raised concerns within the Blackburn community about the presence of such offenders and the adequacy of sentencing in cases involving child exploitation images.
