LEE BLACKWELL FROM BRIGHOUSE JAILED FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IMAGES IN WEST YORKSHIRE

In a significant case that has shocked the community of Brighouse, West Yorkshire, Lee Blackwell, a 46-year-old local baker, was sentenced to six months in prison after police uncovered an alarming collection of child sexual abuse images on his computer equipment.

Blackwell’s arrest took place in October 2014, following a tip-off from Canadian law enforcement agencies involved in an international investigation into the illegal sale of DVDs. The authorities in West Yorkshire responded swiftly, executing a search at Blackwell’s residence on Cross Street, where they seized his computer hard drives for examination.

During the subsequent investigation, police discovered an astonishing amount of illicit material stored on Blackwell’s devices—more than 150,000 photographs and videos depicting child abuse. The sheer volume of content was so vast that investigators could only scrutinize a fraction of it. Among the disturbing content, some images and films featured children as young as six years old engaged in sexual acts, highlighting the severity of the offense.

Blackwell, who admitted to possessing the material, expressed shock upon learning the extent of the images stored on his devices. Prosecutor Alisha Kaye detailed the findings to Bradford Crown Court, emphasizing the disturbing nature of the material. She explained that the police’s limited review only scratched the surface of the total collection, which was deemed to be highly serious.

During the court proceedings, Blackwell’s legal representative, Barrister Stephen Wood, clarified that the defendant had copied some images from one disc to another. However, he acknowledged that the collection contained approximately 34,000 images of children, most of which were classified as the lowest level of seriousness in terms of harm. Mr. Wood stressed that there was no evidence to suggest Blackwell was involved in distributing or sharing the images, but he also highlighted Blackwell’s remorse, stating, “The defendant understands every single one of those 34,000 images involves a victim. He is ashamed of what he has done.”

Judge Jonathan Rose delivered a stern warning to Blackwell, emphasizing the gravity of his actions. He stated that every child depicted in such images had been subjected to abuse, and by viewing these images, Blackwell was perpetuating the cycle of harm. The judge made it clear that Blackwell could not absolve himself of responsibility by claiming he had not physically harmed a child. “You sought this material out and then you continued to do so clearly over a fairly substantial period of time to accumulate all of those images,” Judge Rose declared.

As part of his sentence, Blackwell will be required to register as a sex offender with the police for the next five years. Additionally, he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order that restricts his internet usage for the same period, aiming to prevent any further access to such material and protect the community from potential harm.