GARY CHIDLOW BENTILEE CHILD ABUSE IMAGE SCANDAL SHOCKS LOCAL COMMUNITY

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the Bentilee area, 57-year-old Gary Chidlow has been found guilty of possessing a vast collection of child abuse images, some of which depict extremely graphic and disturbing content. The incident came to light in September 2017 when police executed a search warrant at his residence on Dawlish Drive, uncovering a horrifying cache of digital material.

During the raid, law enforcement officers seized Chidlow’s computer tower and mobile phone. An initial analysis revealed that the computer contained over 16,000 indecent photographs of children, along with eight images classified as extreme pornography. The images were categorized into different levels of severity, with thousands being accessible for viewing. Specifically, the computer held 2,477 images in Category A, of which 2,052 were accessible; 2,301 images in Category B, with 1,842 accessible; and a staggering 11,525 images in Category C, with 8,773 accessible. Among these, eight extreme images were found, including two video files.

Further examination of Chidlow’s mobile device showed that all images stored there were inaccessible, but it still contained 84 still images and 34 videos in Category A, along with 58 still images and 11 videos in Category B, and 91 still images plus three videos in Category C. The police investigation revealed that the material spanned over a 12-year period, highlighting a long-term pattern of disturbing activity.

Chidlow, who resides on Dawlish Drive in Bentilee, pleaded guilty to three charges: making indecent photographs of children and possession of an extreme pornographic image. His case was heard in court, where Judge David Fletcher delivered a stern sentence. Instead of imprisonment, Chidlow was handed a three-year community order, which includes three years of supervision and mandatory participation in a sex offenders’ treatment program.

Additionally, he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years and was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his access to certain online content and activities. The judge emphasized the severity of the crimes, stating, “Many of the images involve adults raping very young children. That is something you have been looking at for a period of 12 years or so.”

Judge Fletcher further remarked, “They are real children that you were looking at, they are not dolls. They are not capable of consenting to what was happening to them. What is perfectly clear is that their lives have been severely blighted by the fact that they have been utilized for the taking of images you have been accessing.” The case underscores the ongoing concerns about online child exploitation and the importance of rigorous law enforcement efforts to combat such heinous crimes.