PORTSMOUTH NAVY VETERAN MELVYN EVANS CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

In a case that has shocked the Portsmouth community, Melvyn Evans, a 57-year-old former naval serviceman, was found guilty of possessing a significant collection of indecent images of children. The court proceedings revealed that Evans had accessed numerous websites containing such material, using search terms that led him to these disturbing images. Among the counts against him, one involved a child estimated to be between 18 months and two years old.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard that Evans did not actively click on or save these images himself. Instead, the images were automatically stored on his computer system, a process that occurred without his direct intervention. Despite this, the court found sufficient evidence to convict him of six counts of making indecent images of a child following a detailed trial.

The images in question were classified into various levels of severity. Many of them were categorized at level one, indicating the lowest degree of indecency. However, the court also identified 100 images at level three, 122 at level four, and notably, two images at level five, which is considered the most serious category of child exploitation material.

The investigation into Evans’s activities was initiated after his online search terms, used in August 2012, were flagged by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Agency (CEOP). This led authorities to scrutinize his digital footprint and uncover the extent of his possession of illegal images. Evans, who served in the navy for 33 years and had no prior criminal record, was subsequently taken into custody.

As part of his sentencing, Evans was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for a period of five years. He was also placed under supervision for 18 months, during which he was prohibited from using any internet-enabled device without prior approval from a supervising officer. Additionally, he was barred from having unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 16 unless explicitly permitted by authorities.

Furthermore, Evans was instructed to pay £2,000 in court costs and was issued a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order. Addressing Evans during sentencing, Susan Evans QC emphasized that although he did not actively click or save the images, they were automatically cached on his computer when accessed. She pointed out the disturbing nature of the web pages, which contained material involving very young children. Despite Evans’s apparent denial, the court concluded that his actions and the evidence pointed to a clear sexual interest in children, marking a serious breach of trust and safety in the community.