TEEN ISLE OF WIGHT OFFENDER HANDED COMMUNITY ORDER FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

A teenage Isle of Wight individual, Jamie O’Neil, has been found with over 900 child sex abuse images, which he shared with 'like-minded' people online. O’Neil, of Culver Road, Shanklin, appeared in Isle of Wight Crown Court on October 18 for sentencing. Previously, at magistrates on July 23, he admitted to possessing three counts of indecent photographs of a child and three counts of distributing such images. Police investigations revealed that O’Neil used fake Twitter and email accounts to send the images. Devices seized, including a Samsung phone, contained Category A, B, C, and 'extreme' images of child sexual abuse. Between April 27 and July 15, 2022, he was in possession of 159 Category A, 324 Category B, and 428 Category C images, totaling 911 photographs. At the time of the offences, he was 17 years old and was considered previously of good character. Prosecutors stated that O’Neil could face up to three years in prison for distribution of the most serious images. His defense argued that he did not fully understand his actions and had a distorted view of sexual abuse, claiming he was 'experimenting' and in a 'phase.' The court, led by Judge William Ashworth, decided not to imprison him but handed down a 24-month community order including 35 days of rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work. O’Neil was also given a five-year notification requirement and a sexual harm prevention order.