DOUGLAS HORNE AND DARREN ROBERTS ADMIT TO OWNING INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN IN FAIRFIELD
In July 2017, two men, Douglas Horne, 43, and Darren Roberts, 45, both residents of Willis Street in Fairfield, pleaded guilty to possessing a collection of indecent photographs of children during a hearing at Warrington Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, July 12.The case arose after police executed a warrant at their shared home following concerns that images depicting the sexual abuse of children were being circulated online from a property in Warrington.
Prosecutor Lionel Cope explained, "Cheshire Constabulary received information that between September 29, 2015, and October 4, 2015, various indecent images were being made available to other people on a peer-to-peer site.
A warrant was executed at the property." During the raid, officers seized electronic devices for forensic analysis.
After extensive police investigations, Horne was charged with possessing 1,023 indecent photographs of young people spanning from July 21, 2011, to November 18, 2016.
Of these, 50 images were classified as Category A—the most severe sort of indecent images by court standards.
Additionally, 568 images were categorized as Category B, and 405 as Category C.
Roberts faced charges of possessing 70 indecent photographs of children within the period from April 30, 2009, to November 18, 2016.
His collection included 12 Category A images, 45 Category B, and 13 Category C.
Following the presentation of evidence, the magistrates adjourned the case to allow for a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the probation service.
The next court hearing is scheduled for August 7 at Warrington Magistrates' Court.
Both Horne and Roberts were ordered to register as sex offenders after admitting to the offences.
