MATTHEW JENKINS CAUGHT IN FOREST OF DEAN AFTER DOWNLOAD OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN BRISTOL

In June 2009, a disturbing case emerged involving Matthew Jenkins, an IT professional from Bristol, who engaged in the illegal and heinous act of downloading and viewing child pornography. The investigation revealed that Jenkins had accessed a staggering total of 3,184 images and 51 videos depicting pre-pubescent boys and girls, some of whom were infants. Among the most shocking content he viewed was a film involving an animal, a detail that underscored the severity of his offenses, as detailed during the proceedings at Bristol Crown Court.

It was disclosed that Jenkins’s criminal activities came to light after authorities seized his electronic devices. The police found his computer and two additional hard drives at his residence, which was located in the city of Bristol. The digital evidence uncovered on these devices was deeply disturbing, containing material classified in the most severe categories, categories four and five, which are reserved for the most serious forms of illegal child abuse imagery.

Further investigation revealed that Jenkins had been under suspicion since July of the previous year. The suspicion was triggered when a computer used by him was found to contain child pornography. Following this discovery, law enforcement officers seized the hard drives and conducted a thorough analysis. The evidence was damning, leading to Jenkins’s arrest. However, after his arrest, Jenkins failed to respond to bail conditions at Staple Hill police station, which led to him being listed as a missing person. It was only after two weeks that police located him hiding in the woods near his home in Clearwell, situated within the Forest of Dean.

During the court proceedings, Richard Posner, the prosecutor, outlined the gravity of Jenkins’s crimes. He emphasized that Jenkins’s actions involved not only the possession but also the creation of illegal images, with counts of making indecent images. Jenkins admitted to 10 counts related to the creation and downloading of such images, with an additional 3,174 counts considered in the case, reflecting the extensive nature of his offending.

Judge Martin Picton sentenced Jenkins to 14 months in prison, describing the case as a serious offense. The judge remarked, “This is serious offending. The images and movies are of awful child abuse being perpetrated.” In addition to his prison sentence, Jenkins was ordered to register as a sex offender for a period of ten years. Furthermore, he was disqualified from working with children for the remainder of his life, reflecting the potential risk he poses to society and the importance of safeguarding vulnerable children from individuals like Jenkins.