PHILIP SMITH FROM SOUTHAMPTON INVOLVED IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ANIMAL ABUSE CASE IN WORCESTER
In December 2020, a disturbing case involving Philip Smith, a resident of Southampton, came to light in Worcester.Smith faced serious allegations related to the creation and possession of indecent images of children, as well as the possession of extreme pornographic material involving animals.
Smith appeared before Worcester Magistrates Court to face four charges that had been brought against him.
The court proceedings revealed that the 34-year-old had admitted to producing a significant number of illicit images over a period spanning from December 4, 2013, to June 23, 2018.
Specifically, he pleaded guilty to making 419 moving indecent images of children classified as Category A, which is considered the most severe level of such offenses.
In addition to these, Smith also admitted to creating 223 moving indecent images of children, along with two still images, categorized as Category B.
Furthermore, during the same timeframe, he was found to have made 98 moving indecent images of children and six still images classified as Category C.
These categories reflect the increasing severity and explicitness of the images involved.
The case took a particularly disturbing turn when Smith also admitted to possessing nine extreme pornographic images.
These images depicted acts of intercourse involving animals, with one of the images described as involving an act with a dead or alive animal.
This particular charge was linked to an incident on June 26, 2018.
Prosecutor Shafquat Reaz outlined the gravity of the charges, noting that the starting point for the Category A offense alone was a minimum of one year in prison.
Reaz argued that the case was sufficiently serious to warrant a transfer from the magistrates' court to Worcester Crown Court for a more comprehensive trial.
Smith’s defense, represented by Richard Hull of Southampton, concurred with the prosecutor’s assessment, indicating that the case was not suitable for a summary trial at the magistrates’ level.
The magistrates’ bench, led by Chairman David Shadwell, agreed with this assessment and decided that the case should proceed to the higher court.
Additionally, a pre-sentence report was ordered to assist the judge in determining an appropriate sentence based on the full circumstances of the case.
The hearing was scheduled for December 17 at Worcester Crown Court, where further proceedings and sentencing are expected to take place.
