LEE LAWRENCE FROM RHOS CAUGHT WITH OVER 800 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES AND EXTREME FILMS

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Rhos, 61-year-old Lee Edwin Charles Lawrence has admitted to possessing a significant collection of indecent images and extreme videos involving children. The charges against Lawrence were formally presented at Wrexham Magistrates Court, where he pleaded guilty to multiple counts related to the illicit material.

According to court reports, law enforcement officials executed a search of Lawrence’s residence on June 12, following an investigation into his online activities. During the search, authorities seized a computer, a mobile phone, and a scan disk drive, which contained the incriminating evidence. The investigation revealed that Lawrence had downloaded a total of 853 images of children, along with eight extreme films, some depicting highly disturbing content.

Lawrence faced eight charges in total, including three counts of making indecent photographs of children, with the images dating from October 11, 2016, to June 13, 2015. He also admitted to possessing 804 indecent images of children on June 2015, alongside two additional counts related to the possession of 46 prohibited images of minors on the same date. The images were categorized by investigators into different severity levels: 74 in Category A, which is considered the most serious, 246 in Category B, and 484 in Category C. Among the images, there was one featuring a boy under the age of eight, and another depicting three boys approximately nine years old.

In addition to the images, Lawrence pleaded guilty to possessing eight extreme movies, as well as a photograph depicting a sexual act involving a female and a dog. The details of these materials have further compounded the seriousness of his offenses.

During the court proceedings, prosecutor Tracey Willingham requested that the magistrates decline jurisdiction for sentencing, suggesting that the case should be transferred to the Crown Court for a more appropriate hearing. However, defense lawyer Ian Barnes argued that the magistrates possessed sufficient authority to handle the case and emphasized Lawrence’s lack of prior convictions and good character. Barnes pointed out that Lawrence had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and that he had downloaded the images from the internet rather than creating or distributing them himself. He also noted that Lawrence had deleted the images before police arrived, which he considered a mitigating factor.

Mr. Barnes acknowledged that the number of images was not insignificant but argued that cases involving thousands or even hundreds of thousands of such images are more common in the courts. He described Lawrence’s case as being on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of severity. The defense also highlighted that Lawrence could not access the images at the time of the police search because he had already deleted them, which was seen as a factor in his favor.

After considering the arguments, magistrates decided to retain jurisdiction over the case and adjourned proceedings until May 23. Lawrence was granted bail under the condition that he must not have unsupervised access to any child under the age of 16, reflecting ongoing concerns about his potential risk to minors.