GUILDFORD MAN PETER STILWELL SENTENCED TO JAIL FOR CHILD PORN IMAGES

In September 2011, Peter Stilwell, 57, of Woodlands Road in Guildford, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after being convicted of downloading and distributing more than 1,700 indecent images of children. The conviction followed an investigation that was prompted when the social networking platform Ning alerted police to suspicious activity originating from Stilwell's account.

A police search of Stilwell’s residence in May 2010 uncovered a total of 1,789 images stored on his computer. These images were categorized across levels one to five, with category five representing the most serious and graphic content. The images had been downloaded over a four-year period, starting in 2006, up to the night before police executed a search warrant.

Det Con Mike Selcon emphasized the seriousness of such offenses saying, “People should remember that every image downloaded and shared online represents a child who has been abused. The images found on the equipment we seized spanned a four-year period with Stilwell downloading images right up until the night before we searched his property. By engaging in this activity, offenders like Stilwell play an active part in the exploitation of children. Surrey Police is committed to identifying anyone who possesses or distributes indecent images of children and ensuring that they are brought to justice.”

As part of his sentence, Stilwell was also subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and will be required to register as a sex offender indefinitely.