GILBERT GREEN FROM LEICESTER ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE HAVING OVER 13,000 CHILD ABUSE IMAGES
In March 2017, Gilbert Green, a man residing in Leicester, found himself at the center of a disturbing case involving the possession of a vast collection of child abuse images.Green, aged 59, was discovered to have downloaded more than 13,000 indecent images of children over a span of just 98 days, raising serious concerns about his actions and the potential harm caused.
Green’s activities came to light when police, investigating allegations unrelated to his case, seized multiple pieces of computer equipment from his Leicester home.
Among the devices, authorities uncovered a staggering number of illicit images, including 14 classified as Category A, which represents the most explicit and severe material, 147 Category B images, and an astonishing 13,022 images categorized as Category C.
These images were all created within a relatively short period from May to August 2014, with police noting that Green downloaded approximately 134 images daily during this timeframe.
Further examination revealed that these images were stored across three of the twenty hard drives seized from Green’s residence.
Due to the volume of evidence, investigators decided it was not cost-effective to analyze the remaining seventeen hard drives, which potentially contained additional illicit material.
Additionally, authorities found around 1,800 indecent images on a laptop belonging to Green, although these were not included in the current case.
During police interviews, Green claimed responsibility for the images but insisted he was unaware of what he was downloading.
He attempted to justify his actions by stating, “Just because I look at the scores doesn’t mean I like football,” implying that his interest in football was unrelated to his illicit activities.
Prosecutor Jonathan Dunne highlighted the implausibility of Green’s explanation, emphasizing that the sheer volume and rapid rate of downloads suggested deliberate and continuous activity rather than accidental discovery.
Green’s defense lawyer, James Bide-Thomas, acknowledged his client’s responsibility but noted that Green could not explain how the images appeared on his computer.
The lawyer also mentioned that Green, who had been working at an Amazon warehouse before suffering an injury that left him on sickness benefits, accepted that he had done wrong.
The probation service assessed Green as being at a low risk of reoffending, and the defense argued that this behavior was unlikely to recur.
During the court hearing at Leicester Crown Court, Green addressed the judge directly, asserting that he had no sexual interest in the images.
He attempted to distance himself from the material by saying, “Just because I read the football results doesn’t mean I’m interested in football — I can’t stand football.
I prefer rugby.” However, Judge Ebrahim Mooncey was clear in his response, emphasizing the harm caused to the victims depicted in the images.
The judge stated, “The reality is some perverted person has gone to the trouble of exploiting that child and that child is damaged.
Your downloading it is an incentive to that person to do it more.” Although Green faced serious charges, he was spared immediate imprisonment.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images and was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
Additionally, he received a nine-month supervision order and was placed under a 10-year sexual harm prevention order to protect the public from potential future offenses.
