MICHAEL ROWLANDS FROM WIDNES JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES NEAR WEST BANK PRIMARY SCHOOL

In a disturbing case that highlights the ongoing battle against online child exploitation, Michael Rowlands, a 28-year-old resident of Widnes, was sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of possessing a vast collection of indecent images of children. The offences came to light following a police investigation into his digital activities, which revealed a troubling library of illegal material stored on his home computer.

Rowlands, who at the time of his arrest was living near West Bank Primary School in West Bank, Cheshire, admitted to possessing a total of 20 charges related to indecent images of children. These images ranged in age from as young as 18 months to 14 years old, with some classified at the highest levels of severity, depicting children being raped while restrained. The court heard that his collection included a staggering 24,148 images present on his computer, along with an additional 11,500 images that had been deleted but recovered during the investigation. The images dated back to 2004, indicating a prolonged period during which he engaged in this illegal activity.

Prosecutor Jackie Lamb detailed the severity of the case, stating that more than 400 of the images were classified at levels four and five, which are considered the most serious categories of child pornography. The court was told that the images involved very young children, some prepubescent, and depicted acts of sexual abuse and violence. The judge, Nick Woodward, expressed his condemnation of Rowlands' actions, emphasizing the gravity of the offences. He remarked, “We are dealing with a range of offences of child pornography of children who were young or very young, over a lengthening period of time.”

During the hearing, Rowlands' defense attorney, Charlotte Atherton, argued that the software used to download and share the images was freely available on the internet. She clarified that Rowlands had not physically handed over or shared the images directly with others, nor had he sent them via email. Instead, she explained that the software's nature allowed him to download content, and others could also access his shared files. Atherton described her client as a man of previously good character who was employed by a local joinery firm.

Following his conviction, Rowlands was ordered to adhere to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for the next ten years, a measure designed to prevent future offending. Detective Sergeant Mark Fletcher commented on the case, stating, “The sentence handed down to Rowlands reflects the serious nature of these offences. We hope this reinforces the message that the internet is policed vigorously and people who choose to offend online in this way will be caught and punished.” He further emphasized the importance of protecting the public, noting that behind every illegal image is a victim of abuse. The police reaffirmed their commitment to combating the creation, distribution, and consumption of such shocking material, aiming to safeguard vulnerable children and hold offenders accountable.