MARK CHILVERS SHOCKS CAMBRIDGE AND HARWICK WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE

In January 2003, a disturbing case unfolded involving Mark Chilvers, a man from Cambridge with ties to the Hardwick area, who was brought before the court on serious charges related to child pornography. The incident began when his wife, Michelle Chilvers, discovered indecent images of children stored on a computer disk at their family home in Hardwick in June of the previous year. This discovery prompted a police investigation that would reveal a far more troubling situation.

Following her discovery, Social Services alerted law enforcement authorities, leading to a raid on the Chilvers residence. During the operation, police seized a laptop, several CDs, and other electronic equipment. The investigation uncovered an alarming collection of approximately 32,000 files containing pornography, of which around 600 depicted children engaged in sexual acts. The scale of the material was shocking and indicated a significant obsession with collecting such images.

Mark Chilvers, aged 36 at the time, who worked as a self-employed painter and decorator, admitted to 11 specific allegations related to child pornography during a hearing at Cambridge Magistrates' Court in December. During the court proceedings, Chilvers explained that his downloading of these images had become an obsession, though he insisted he had no sexual interest in children. "I have no interest in sex with children but I became obsessed with collecting the pictures, it’s more to do with my obsessive nature. I just kept on downloading them," he stated.

His defense lawyer, Mark Shelley, highlighted that Chilvers had other compulsive behaviors, such as collecting medals and information about cannabis, despite not using the drug himself. Shelley emphasized that Chilvers’s obsession with collecting dangerous material was a serious concern.

In a rare moment of candor, Michelle Chilvers took the witness stand and expressed her perspective on the situation. She stated that she did not see her husband as a threat to her or their three young children, aged two, three, and six. She described her shock upon discovering the images but also conveyed her hope for reconciliation. "It was devastating to find the images and I was absolutely shocked. I know what he did was wrong and he’s thankful to me for reporting it because he knows he needs help. I sincerely hope we can get back to what we had and we’ll do whatever it takes to reunite as a family," she said.

Judge Peter Jacobs delivered his verdict, imposing a three-year community rehabilitation order on Chilvers and registering him as a sex offender for five years. The judge acknowledged that Chilvers had narrowly avoided a prison sentence, citing the fact that he was the sole breadwinner for his family and that his wife had stood by him during this difficult time. However, the judge was clear in his condemnation, stating, "Nothing I can say detracts from the fact you took part in the exploitation and destruction of children. This is an absolute mess. You’ve got a problem and you’d better sort it out." The case left a stark reminder of the serious nature of such offenses and the importance of addressing underlying issues.