PETER SLATTER CAUGHT WITH OVER 300 CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN BIGGLESWADE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Biggleswade, Peter Slatter, aged 64, has admitted to possessing a large collection of indecent images of children. The charges against him include the possession of more than 300 such images, which he downloaded and viewed on his personal computer.

Slatter, who resides at The Rowlands in Biggleswade, appeared before Bedford Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to 19 counts of making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs, as well as possessing a total of 331 still and moving images. Additionally, he admitted to possessing five images classified as prohibited under the law.

The case came to light after police investigations revealed that Slatter had accessed a website known for hosting indecent images of children. Authorities responded to his address and discovered his laptop, which contained a disturbing array of images categorized into different levels based on severity. The laptop held 216 images classified as Level One, which is considered the lowest category, 45 images at Level Two, 52 at Level Three, and 18 at Level Four. The latter category includes images depicting penetrative sexual activity involving children, which is regarded as the second most serious level of such material.

Prosecutor Camille Gifford explained during the hearing that Slatter was very open during police interviews. She stated, “When he was interviewed, he was very candid about his actions and at the outset when he was asked if he had images, he said he did. He told the police ‘you don’t always get what you are asking for,’ and that the first time he accessed these images it was an accident, but he continued viewing them afterward.”

Defense lawyer Jo Cestaro acknowledged the nature of the images, noting that a significant portion of the material was classified as Level One, which is the least severe. Cestaro emphasized that there was no evidence of distribution of the images by Slatter. He also highlighted that his client made full and frank admissions to police when arrested in November of the previous year.

Despite pleading guilty to all charges, the magistrates considered the case to be of such gravity that they decided to transfer the proceedings to Luton Crown Court for sentencing, which is scheduled to take place later this month. The community of Biggleswade awaits further developments as the legal process continues.