MICHAEL STEVENS FROM BEWDLEY ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE 17,000 CHILD PORN IMAGES FOUND IN WORCESTERSHIRE

In a case that has shocked the local community of Bewdley and the wider Worcestershire area, Michael Stevens, a 56-year-old man residing in Old Tannery Court, Bewdley, was found to possess an alarming collection of child pornography on his personal computers. Despite the severity of the evidence, Stevens was ultimately spared a custodial sentence during his sentencing at Worcester Crown Court.

Back in February of the previous year, police executed a search warrant at Stevens' residence as part of a broader operation known as Operation Alpine, which targeted online child exploitation. During the raid, authorities seized several laptops from his home. An examination of these devices revealed a staggering total of 17,265 images depicting young girls engaged in explicit acts. Among these were six videos, all of which primarily featured girls aged between 10 and 14 years old.

Prosecutor Stephen Davies detailed the findings to the court, explaining that the images were categorized into different levels based on their severity. The majority, totaling 13,311 images, were classified as Level 1, indicating the least serious content. The remaining images fell into various categories, with 101 at Level 5, the most severe, and the images dated from 2007 up until February of the previous year. The court was told that Stevens had downloaded these images over a period of several years, raising concerns about his ongoing engagement with such material.

As part of the court's ruling, Stevens was prohibited from having any unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16. This restriction has had a direct impact on his personal life, preventing him from spending time alone with his own teenage daughter. The court heard that Stevens has been undergoing therapy for the past 12 months, making efforts to come to terms with his actions. His defense lawyer, Ruth Edwards, acknowledged the disturbing nature of the images but emphasized that there was no evidence to suggest Stevens had shared or distributed the material. She also pointed out that he was not considered a danger to children and had no previous criminal convictions.

During the hearing, Stevens admitted to downloading the images, a fact established at an earlier hearing. The judge, Richard Rundell, expressed his dismay at the case, questioning why someone with a seemingly stable home life and employment would engage in such behavior. While the guidelines suggested a two-year prison sentence, Judge Rundell decided that incarceration was not the most appropriate response. Instead, he sentenced Stevens to a 12-month jail term, with the possibility of release after six months, provided he completed the necessary therapy.

Judge Rundell emphasized the importance of treatment and rehabilitation, stating that individuals like Stevens require help rather than punishment alone. He imposed a three-year community order, which would involve ongoing therapy and participation in a sex offenders' group work program. Although Stevens was ordered to continue his supervised contact restrictions, he was permitted to see his daughter unsupervised, subject to approval from children’s services, as it was deemed in her best interests.

The court also ordered the destruction of the computers involved in the case and mandated that Stevens register as a sex offender for five years. Additionally, he was required to pay £1,300 in court costs. Following the hearing, John Rostill, chairman of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, issued a statement expressing shock at the charges. He confirmed that Stevens had resigned from his position as finance director in November and clarified that his employment had been subject to strict pre-employment checks. There was no evidence to suggest that Stevens engaged in any misconduct related to his work during his time at the NHS Trust.