CHEF GRAEME ANTHONY-MEANEY FROM CHESTER SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND VIDEOS

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Chester, a local chef named Graeme Anthony-Meaney has been sentenced to prison after police uncovered a significant collection of indecent images involving children on his personal computer. The investigation was initiated after authorities received an email containing screenshots and detailed logs of his online activity on Facebook and Skype, which raised suspicions and prompted further action.

Graeme Anthony-Meaney, aged 29 and residing at Upton Grange in Chester, was swiftly arrested following the receipt of this email. During the subsequent search of his property, law enforcement officials seized his computer and discovered a troubling array of illicit material. The files included a video and a total of 148 indecent images, categorized into different levels of severity. Among these, 21 images were classified as Category A, indicating the most serious content, while 29 were Category B, and 98 fell into Category C. All images depicted young boys, some as young as five or six years old, highlighting the disturbing nature of the material.

At Chester Crown Court, the proceedings revealed that Anthony-Meaney had admitted to possessing the images and a video, as well as distributing four images to other individuals over the internet who shared similar interests. The court heard that he was responsible for the distribution of a single Category B photo and three Category C images. His defense attorney, Christopher Hunt, emphasized that his client, who has worked as a chef throughout his life, was genuinely remorseful for his actions. Hunt also pointed out that Anthony-Meaney had made full confessions to police during interviews and was visibly distressed during questioning, shedding tears as he expressed regret.

The court was informed that Anthony-Meaney had a prior conviction in 2007, which resulted in a 12-month prison sentence that was suspended for two years, for similar offenses involving child abuse images. This history underscored the seriousness of his current charges. Furthermore, it was revealed that he had recently breached bail conditions by failing to inform police of his eviction from his Chester residence. Instead, he was staying with a friend in Liverpool, which constituted a further violation of the terms set by the court.

Judge Elgan Edwards, the Recorder of Chester, delivered the sentence, which amounted to a total of 21 months behind bars. He sentenced Anthony-Meaney to 18 months for four of the charges and 12 months for the remaining charges, to run concurrently. An additional three months were added for breaching bail conditions, making the overall sentence 21 months. The judge issued a stern warning, stating, “You’ve got yourself into a great deal of trouble. You’ve never been to prison before but the time has come when you will have a taste of it. If you carry on looking at this kind of filth then you will go to prison again. Don’t be wasting your life on things that you would be better off leaving well alone. If you do it again, the prison term will be longer.”

This case highlights the ongoing efforts of Cheshire Police to combat the distribution and possession of child abuse images, and serves as a stark reminder of the serious consequences faced by those involved in such criminal activities.