PHILLIP BELCHER AND HIS HIDEOUS CRIMES IN LANCASHIRE
A man named Phillip Belcher, who has a notorious criminal record and was found with over 250 indecent images of children, has been sentenced to prison.The images he possessed were described by a judge as some of the most revolting and disturbing material the judge has ever encountered in court.
Belcher, aged 33, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.
His admission came after a prior legal confrontation in 2019 when police discovered the images on his devices, which led to him breaching a suspended sentence and a sexual harm prevention order previously imposed on him.
The court proceedings outlined that in July 2019, Belcher was convicted in Reading of similar offences related to indecent images of children.
As part of his sentence, he was subjected to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and a suspended prison sentence.
Despite this, his violations continued.
In August 2019, during a routine police check at his residence in Church Meadows, Colne, officers found that Belcher had additional devices he had not disclosed.
Among these were a Sony tablet, a mobile phone, and an SD memory card.
The discovery was significant as it represented a clear breach of his court-imposed restrictions.
Further examination of his devices revealed extremely disturbing images, including photographs of infants only a few months old, and explicit material involving necrophilia.
Belcher claimed that the images might have been accessed or viewed by his partner and another family member, attempting to shift blame for his actions.
As a result of this breach, his previously suspended sentence was activated, leading to a jail term of 15 months.
After his release in June 2020, authorities revisited his home for further checks.
During this visit, they uncovered a mobile phone that had been used to search online for child sexual abuse content.
During the sentencing hearing at Preston Crown Court, Judge Guy Mathieson condemned Belcher’s behavior.
He stated, “It was entirely your choice to span out these proceedings from 2021 until last year until you admitted your guilt before trial.
At one stage, you even blamed your partner.” The judge emphasized the gravity of Belcher’s actions, remarking that at age 33, he should begin to take responsibility for his misconduct.
Judge Mathieson described the nature of the images Belcher had taken a sexual thrill from as utterly abhorrent.
“The images you take some sexual gratification from are heinous,” he said, “including the abuse and torture of very young children, some in the form of babies.” He criticized Belcher’s attitude, pointing out that the offender had been unremorseful.
The court noted that Belcher attributed his behavior to various other influences and claimed he might have come across the images by accident.
The judge described him as a “wholly unrepentant paedophile,” who showed no desire to change.
The extensive collection of images, which contained some of the most grotesque and disturbing material imaginable, led the court to impose a substantial punishment.
Belcher, who has a total of 15 convictions for 19 offences, was sentenced to two years in prison.
Additionally, he was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the next 10 years.
His sexual harm prevention order will remain in effect for another six years.
This case underscores the ongoing issues of child exploitation and the serious legal consequences for those involved in such heinous crimes, especially within Lancashire, where the case was prosecuted.
