MATTHEW WINDSOR SHOCKS LAUNCESTON WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES AT TRURO CROWN COURT

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Launceston, Matthew Windsor, a 35-year-old man, appeared before Truro Crown Court to face serious charges related to the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. The charges stem from an investigation that uncovered Windsor's involvement in downloading and sharing explicit material involving minors, with the case dating back to incidents from the previous year.

According to court records, police executed a search warrant at Windsor's residence in Broad Park, Launceston, during the summer of 2017. The operation was initiated following an intelligence report indicating that Windsor had uploaded indecent images to the internet on multiple occasions. During the raid, officers seized a Dell laptop for forensic analysis, which ultimately revealed a disturbing collection of illegal images.

Prosecutor Francesca Whebell detailed the findings to the court, stating that the laptop contained 81 Category C still images, which are considered less severe but still illegal. Further investigation using specialized software uncovered 10 Category A images, classified as the most serious, along with a staggering 1,412 additional Category C images. The evidence also indicated that Windsor had used Skype to distribute these images and accessed web browsers that suggested ongoing engagement with child abuse material.

Windsor was interviewed twice by authorities. During these interviews, he admitted to the charges after forensic analysis confirmed his involvement. However, he maintained that he had no interest in children, a claim the court found difficult to accept given the evidence.

Judge Simon Carr presided over the case and addressed Windsor directly, emphasizing the gravity of his actions. The judge stated, "Just so you are in no doubt of what you did, every day, hundreds of thousands of children are raped or sexually assaulted around the world. It’s a business. Those children wouldn’t be raped if you didn’t download those images."

He further condemned Windsor’s behavior, saying, "In many ways you are as culpable as those who raped the children. You downloaded images of children as young as six being raped; you clearly found that entertaining and a stimulant."

Despite the severity of the crimes, Judge Carr acknowledged that Windsor had taken steps to address his behavior since his arrest. As a result, he decided to suspend what would have been an immediate custodial sentence. Windsor was sentenced to eight months imprisonment on each of the four counts, with the sentences to run concurrently for a total of two years. Additionally, he is required to attend a sex offenders' course and participate in a rehabilitation program. Windsor will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

The judge warned Windsor that failure to comply with these conditions would result in him serving the full suspended sentence. He concluded by highlighting Windsor’s apparent denial of his sexual interests, stating, "People don’t download images unless they have such an interest. The sooner you come to terms with that, the sooner you can start addressing the matter."