DYLAN TOWNS FROM BOURNEMOUTH AVOIDS JAIL AFTER BEING FOUND WITH CHILD INDECENT IMAGES
In July 2017, a self-employed carpenter from Bournemouth, Dylan Towns, aged 45, was convicted of possessing numerous indecent images and videos of children as young as three, yet he was not sentenced to prison.Towns was handed a suspended prison term after admitting to the possession of these images.
The court was told that Towns possessed 38 images classified as Category A—the most serious—and 22 Category B images, along with 20 Category C images.
These materials included graphic photos and films, with most children depicted being under the age of ten.
Some videos lasted as long as ten minutes.
The police investigation began after Towns was observed acting suspiciously near a girls' school in Bournemouth on June 15 of the previous year.
It was revealed that he had been out jogging and deliberately chose a route that would bring him close to the school during outdoor exercise times for pupils.
Concerned residents and police officers became suspicious of his behavior, leading to his arrest.
During a subsequent search of his property, officers discovered several memory cards containing the offensive material, which was described as "unpleasant".
The evidence showed the files had been downloaded between 2015 and 2016.
During police interviews, Towns admitted his involvement but claimed he was "stressed out and in a toxic relationship".
He also stated he was "just curious" and described the content as "disgusting".
The court also learned that Towns had a 25-year history of indecent exposure, although none of those incidents involved children.
Matthew Butt, representing Towns, told the court that his client felt "real remorse" for his actions and recognized the harm caused to children depicted in the images.
Prior to his arrest, Towns was working as a company director; however, since then, he has become a self-employed carpenter.
Recorder James Watson QC commented on the case, saying, "There appears to be a degree of attraction towards the nature of material that you have obtained.
There’s clearly an underlying problem here, the scope of which I am not able to determine, but it’s led me to have significant concerns about the overall risk you could commit further offences.
Particularly if you are subject to a circumstance where the temptation is high." Despite these concerns, the judge acknowledged Towns’s honesty about his problem and his efforts to address it.
As a result, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, and placed under a program requirement along with a six-month curfew.
Furthermore, Towns was issued a sexual harm prevention order for ten years, which prohibits him from working alone in any residence with individuals under 18.
