MICHAEL KENNERLEY FROM LEIGH JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN BOLTON
In August 2021, a disturbing case unfolded involving Michael Kennerley, a resident of Leigh, who was convicted of possessing and attempting to conceal indecent images of children.The investigation began when police officers, acting on intelligence, executed a search warrant at Kennerley's residence on Hope Carr Road in Leigh.
During the search, officers discovered two tablets hidden beneath a wardrobe, carefully concealed from view, along with a mobile phone that was later found to be stored in a locker at his workplace.
Further analysis of these devices revealed a horrifying collection of illegal images.
The two tablets contained a total of 823 images, including 258 classified as Category A, which are considered the most serious, along with 501 less serious images and 64 prohibited images.
The images depicted children as young as two years old, with the majority of the photographs featuring children aged between four and thirteen.
These images were downloaded over a period spanning from June 2015 to June 2020, indicating a prolonged period of offending.
During police interviews, Kennerley admitted to being sexually attracted to girls aged nine and ten.
His actions and the content found on his devices were described as horrifying by the presiding judge, Tom Gilbart, at Bolton Crown Court.
The judge emphasized the severity of the images, which depicted innocent children engaged in sexual acts, and highlighted the danger posed by such material.
Kennerley's criminal record included a previous conviction in May 2019, when he was issued a sexual harm prevention order following his possession of extreme sexual images of children.
This order was designed to impose strict controls on his use of devices capable of accessing the internet, aiming to prevent further offending.
Despite this, police found that Kennerley had continued to possess devices that he had not disclosed, including a mobile phone kept in a locker at his workplace, which he claimed to have owned prior to the imposition of the order.
In November 2020, officers raided Kennerley's workplace and discovered the concealed mobile phone, further evidence of his ongoing violations.
At a previous hearing, Kennerley admitted to three counts of making indecent photographs, possessing prohibited images of children, and breaching the sexual harm prevention order.
Judge Gilbart sentenced Kennerley to 17 months in prison.
Additionally, he was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for a period of ten years, reflecting the seriousness of his crimes and the potential risk to the community.
The case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat child exploitation and the importance of strict legal measures to prevent such offenses.
