NEIL GOUGH FROM NORMANTON ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE CHILD INDECENT IMAGES FOUND IN DERBY

In May 2017, a man from Derby, Neil Gough, narrowly avoided immediate imprisonment after authorities uncovered indecent images of children stored on his computer. The police launched an operation targeting Gough's residence in Normanton following credible intelligence that linked his internet activity to the viewing of perverted movies.

During the investigation, law enforcement officials analyzed electronic devices seized from Gough's home. The forensic examination revealed a disturbing collection of images, with two classified as the most serious Category A, six as Category B, and twelve as Category C. These findings underscored the severity of the material stored on his devices.

Gough was subsequently interviewed by officers, during which he claimed that he had been engaging in online conversations with women based in the Far East. He stated that these women had sent him the illicit images, which he claimed he did not request and found revolting. Despite his assertions, questions arose about his continued access to the files. Prosecutor Martin Hurst highlighted this inconsistency, asking why Gough persisted in communicating with those who sent him the images and why he kept returning to the Dropbox folder where the images were stored.

Gough, who resides at St Swithin’s Close, faced charges of making indecent images of children. He pleaded guilty to three counts of this offense when he appeared before Derby Crown Court. The court's sentencing was delivered by Recorder Andrew Easteal, who imposed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

In his remarks, Recorder Easteal emphasized the gravity of the offense, stating, “There is something you need to understand and that is that the people responsible for carrying out this type of (child) abuse include you. We are living in a time where there are children abused in order for people to look at it. Without that market, many of these children might not suffer in the way they do.” He further explained that viewing such material directly contributes to the suffering of innocent children and that offenders like Gough bear responsibility for this.

However, acknowledging the relatively small number of images involved and Gough’s clean prior criminal record, the judge decided not to send him to prison outright. He noted that the case was serious but also considered the mitigating factors. Prosecutor Hurst confirmed that police officers acted on specific information, leading to a warrant being executed at Gough’s address in July 2016. Devices were seized during this operation, and the illicit images were discovered on them.

Hurst recounted that during his interview, Gough explained his online interactions, claiming he had not solicited the images and was revolted by them. The descriptions of some images, Hurst added, were particularly disturbing and difficult to read aloud in court. Overall, the case highlights the ongoing issues surrounding online child exploitation and the importance of law enforcement efforts to combat such crimes.