MATTEO MANFREDI FROM CHELMSFORD SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES AND INTERNET BREACHES
In August 2017, Matteo Manfredi, a resident of Chelmsford, was handed a significant prison sentence after admitting to intentions of downloading child abuse images involving young girls.The 30-year-old man was convicted at Chelmsford Crown Court following multiple breaches of a sexual harm prevention order that had been previously imposed on him.
Manfredi’s criminal history includes a prior conviction from October 2016, when he was found to have downloaded 665 indecent images of children.
Police investigations revealed that he had actively searched for websites containing pre-teen pornography, which led to his initial conviction.
Although he avoided immediate imprisonment at that time, he was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work over a three-year period and to undergo 75 days of rehabilitation.
Additionally, a sexual harm prevention order was placed on him for five years, explicitly prohibiting him from owning any device capable of connecting to the internet without prior approval, and requiring him to conceal or delete his internet browsing history.
Despite these restrictions, Manfredi breached the order on three separate occasions—twice in February and once in June of the same year.
He pleaded guilty to these breaches in July.
During the investigation, authorities discovered a laptop and a memory stick at his residence on February 21, after they learned that Manfredi had opened an Individual Savings Account (ISA) without informing the authorities.
He admitted ownership of these devices, which he had purchased just two days earlier, on February 19.
Charlotte Davison, representing the Crown, explained that although no indecent images were found during the initial search, the devices were sent to experts for analysis.
The results revealed that the laptop had an anonymous browser installed, making it impossible to trace browsing history.
The same system, along with another installed on the memory stick, was designed to prevent detection.
Furthermore, officers uncovered a file titled ‘how to touch a woman on the bus’ on the device, which was last accessed the day before his arrest, on February 20.
Manfredi also admitted to using a friend’s computer to access the internet without authorization.
In his police interview, Manfredi fully cooperated, admitting that he had downloaded software and intended to download images of children aged 12 to 15 for his own sexual gratification.
His defense lawyer, Hannah Sutton, stated that Manfredi had been seeking help from the Salvation Army and emphasized that his issues would not be resolved overnight.
She highlighted that he had reported his living environment as supportive and that he had promptly admitted to possessing the devices, acknowledging his breaches and court appearances.
Judge Patricia Lynch sentenced Manfredi to two years in prison for breaching the sexual harm prevention order, and she also resentenced him for his earlier possession of indecent images.
In her remarks, she emphasized the gravity of his actions, stating, “You know that last time you came in front of the court it must have been made clear to you that you were being given the opportunity to address your offending.
You view this filth for your own sexual gratification and you seem to forget that these are real children being put through horrific, flagrant, and degrading sexual acts for people like yourself.
Children are not for sexual gratification, they are to be protected.
You were given the chance to address your behavior and you have not.
The victims of your offence are children and you will pay for this.” Earlier in 2016, Manfredi, then aged 29 and living in Chelmsford, was also sentenced for downloading hundreds of child sex abuse images over a span of nine years.
Police linked his IP address to the material, leading to the seizure of three computers from his home in October 2016.
The images depicted children aged between eight and fifteen, including the abuse of a one-year-old and a three-year-old.
Manfredi admitted to having viewed such images since 2007, and Judge Martin Levett remarked that the volume and nature of the images indicated he viewed them for sexual gratification, not curiosity.
The court expressed concern about the likelihood of reoffending without proper rehabilitation, emphasizing the importance of deterring such behavior and raising awareness about the harm caused to victims.
As part of his sentence, Manfredi was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work within three years and to undergo 75 days of rehabilitation.
He was also subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years, requiring him to notify authorities of any change of address or passport.
The computers containing the illegal images were scheduled for destruction to prevent further distribution.
