MORGAN ABBOTT SENTENCED IN HOLYWELL FOR POSSESSING AND DISTRIBUTING INDECENT IMAGES
A teenage boy from Greenfield, Holywell, named Morgan Andrew Abbott, age 18, was involved in a case concerning the possession and distribution of indecent images of children.Abbott claimed that he had been bullied while in school to look at such images, but an investigation revealed that he continued searching for these images even after leaving school, which was described in court as an addiction.
At Mold Crown Court, Judge Niclas Parry sentenced Abbott to 16 months in youth custody but suspended the sentence for two years.
He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and to attend 60 days of rehabilitation programs.
Additionally, he was directed to register as a sex offender with the police for ten years and was issued a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.
Abbott admitted to downloading a total of 115 indecent images and movies of children at the most serious level (Category A), 99 images at Category B, and 288 images and movies at Category C.
He also admitted that, in November of the previous year, he distributed indecent images and movies of children across all three categories using Skype.
Furthermore, Abbott possessed 244 prohibited images and six extreme images that depicted, explicitly and realistically, a person performing oral sex on a dog.
Judge Parry addressed Abbott, explaining, "It took a police investigation and your arrest for you to realize the seriousness of what you had been involved with.
You searched for material depicting the abuse of very young children.
It has taken this prosecution for you to understand that children who are abused suffer trauma which is immeasurable." The judge also noted that the case was significantly worsened by some images being shared, warning that distribution offenses could lead to sentences of up to five years.
Despite the gravity of his actions, the judge acknowledged Abbott’s youth, immaturity, naivety, and the fact that he was experimenting sexually at the time of the offenses.
He noted Abbott had no previous convictions and pleaded guilty.
The judge explained that an immediate custodial sentence might result in early release without addressing the underlying issues, thus choosing to suspend the sentence.
Robin Boag, representing Abbott, stated, "My client is a young man of good character with no prior convictions who pleaded guilty early.
His distribution was limited to two individuals in November of last year.
Initially, he was bullied into doing it, but he accepted it continued from there.
There was some encouragement, and he admits it became an addiction."
