KEVIN CORNES FROM RUNCORN SPARED PRISON AFTER DOWNLOADS OF 9000 CHILD ABUSE IMAGES
In a case that has shocked the local community of Runcorn, Kevin Cornes, a 35-year-old man, was found guilty of possessing and making indecent images of children, yet he narrowly avoided imprisonment due to his Asperger’s diagnosis.The proceedings took place at Chester Crown Court, where Cornes appeared visibly anxious, often shaking as he awaited the judge’s decision.
Kevin Cornes, residing on Ascot Avenue in Runcorn, had previously been convicted of similar offenses in 2015.
During the recent hearing, he admitted to three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing an indecent image, which collectively involved a staggering total of 9,177 images.
These images depicted children aged between three and thirteen years old, with file names indicating their ages.
The prosecution, led by Simon Mintz, explained that the “making” charge referred specifically to the act of downloading these images.
Police executed a warrant at Cornes’s residence on March 30 of the previous year, seizing multiple digital devices.
Among these, three devices were deemed particularly significant, revealing that Cornes had downloaded 1,259 images classified as Category A—the most severe type—along with 1,234 images in Category B, and a further 6,694 images in Category C.
The total number of images, therefore, reached 9,177, with the majority being static images and 103 videos.
Investigations indicated that these downloads occurred between August 2019 and March 6 of the following year.
When questioned by police in January 2022, Cornes responded with “no comment.” It was also noted that he had a prior conviction from 2015 for similar offenses, which resulted in a three-year community order that expired in 2018, along with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that remains in effect until 2025.
The sentencing range for such offenses involving Category A images was identified as between six months and three years.
However, Judge Steven Everett, the Recorder of Chester, decided to revoke Cornes’s previous SHPO and replace it with an updated order that restricts his internet use and grants police access to his devices.
Ultimately, Cornes was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years.
Additionally, he was ordered to undertake up to 60 days of rehabilitation.
The court also imposed a 10-year SHPO and a decade-long requirement to register as a sex offender, reflecting the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community of Runcorn.
