MARK WILBY FROM PLYMOUTH ESCAPES JAIL AFTER CHILD PORNOGRAPHY DISCOVERY
In August 2014, the case of Mark Wilby, a 32-year-old former employee at a McDonald's restaurant in Plymouth, drew significant attention from law enforcement and the local community due to the disturbing nature of his criminal activities.Wilby was found to possess an enormous collection of illicit images and videos depicting child abuse, with authorities uncovering over 450,000 such files stored across his personal computers and external hard drives.
Police investigations were initiated after a search warrant was executed at Wilby’s residence, which he shared with his mother in Townshend Avenue, Keyham.
The warrant was issued based on intelligence suggesting that Wilby was actively accessing and downloading child pornography via the internet.
During the search, investigators discovered a vast quantity of indecent material, much of which involved very young children, specifically those aged around eight or nine years old.
The authorities initially stopped cataloging the images once they reached 2,000, but subsequent analysis revealed that Wilby’s collection was far larger, totaling approximately 450,000 files.
Prosecutor Sarah Vince detailed the findings in Plymouth Crown Court, explaining that Wilby’s computers contained 1,299 images and two videos classified as Category C, which is considered the lowest level of severity.
Additionally, there were four images and three videos categorized as Category B, and 11 images along with three videos classified as Category A, indicating the most severe level of abuse.
All these materials involved children aged eight and nine.
Further examination of Wilby’s external hard drive uncovered an additional 529 images and two videos of Category C, along with one of Category A, and five images classified as ‘extreme pornography’ that did not involve children.
The presence of such material underscores the extent of Wilby’s disturbing collection.
During the court proceedings, Wilby’s defense attorney, Jo Martin, described his client’s behavior as driven by obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
She stated, “What he has is an obsessive compulsive behaviour in terms of downloading pornography and giving in to things that give him the high that he feels he needs.” Despite the gravity of the offenses, Wilby was sentenced to nine months in prison, but the sentence was suspended for two years.
He was also placed under probation supervision and subjected to a Sexual Offenders Prevention Order, aimed at monitoring and managing his behavior moving forward.
Judge Graham Cottle addressed Wilby directly, emphasizing the seriousness of his actions while acknowledging his willingness to seek help.
The judge remarked, “You have not sought to minimize your responsibility for all of this, you have willingly sought help and will continue to do so.
You are, therefore, a perfectly suitable candidate for the sexual offenders treatment programme.” However, he also made it clear that such offenses warrant custodial punishment, which in this case was suspended, reflecting the court’s attempt to balance justice with the potential for rehabilitation.
