PETER EVANS FROM CHURCH STRETTON FOUND GUILTY OF CHILD ABUSE IMAGE OFFENSES IN SHREWSBURY

In a significant case that has drawn considerable attention in the West Mercia region, Peter Evans, a 62-year-old resident of Ludlow Road, Church Stretton, has been convicted on multiple charges related to the possession and creation of indecent images of children. The verdict was delivered after a four-day trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court, where the jury found Evans guilty of eight counts of making indecent images of children and four counts of possessing similar illicit material. Despite the conviction on these charges, Evans was acquitted of two additional offenses, which the jury decided not to convict him of.

Throughout the proceedings, Evans maintained his innocence, asserting that his actions were part of a research project aimed at exposing child pornography. He claimed that he intended to present his findings to Channel 4 television executives and law enforcement officials, suggesting that his activities were investigative rather than exploitative. Evans explained that he did not subscribe to any illegal sites but instead viewed such content repeatedly to monitor how quickly it was removed from the internet. He stated that he bookmarked these sites on his computer to facilitate easy access.

The court was informed that police officers raided Evans’s home in January of the previous year, uncovering evidence that he had been viewing indecent images of children just hours before the police arrived. The investigation revealed that Evans had been actively engaged in viewing such material, which he claimed was for research purposes. The police found a folder on his hard drive containing 83 indecent images of children, which had been created between January 2011 and January 2012. This folder was stored alongside adult pornography, indicating a mixture of illicit content.

Further examination uncovered that Evans had attempted to delete evidence of his activities. Police discovered that he had deleted some images, and he had also cleared his internet cache, removing a total of approximately 130 indecent pictures. Detective Constable Jason Cook of the West Mercia Police hi-tech crime unit explained that 95 of these images had been created within a ten-minute window just hours before the police raid, highlighting the rapid pace of his activity. The officer also revealed that Evans had used specific search terms such as “pre-teen,” “paedo,” and “very young” on Google to locate the images.

During the trial, Evans admitted to searching for such images during late evening or early morning hours, but he continued to deny any intent of personal gratification. Instead, he insisted that his actions were part of a research effort aimed at understanding and exposing child exploitation. The court has adjourned sentencing until November 10, pending further reports, and Evans has been granted bail until that date.

This case underscores the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in tackling online child exploitation and highlights the complex motivations that can sometimes be presented by individuals involved in such activities. The authorities continue to emphasize the importance of vigilance and thorough investigation in combating these heinous crimes.