PHILLIP TINDALL FROM COLNE SPARED JAIL FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN 2008

In February 2008, Phillip Tindall, a man connected to the rugby scene in Colne, was spared immediate imprisonment after being found guilty of possessing and sharing child abuse images. The court heard that Tindall, aged 49 and residing on York Street, Colne, had uploaded and disseminated indecent pictures of children nine times. Additionally, police discovered an obscene image classified at level four—one of the most severe categories—on his computer.

The investigation into Tindall’s activities was initiated after police attention was drawn to an internet email account linked to him. Prosecutor Miss Martine Snowdon revealed that police had found an email from Tindall reading: "Have you any young pictures?" The defendant initially claimed he enjoyed viewing adult pornography and chatting on adult chat rooms, insisting he had no involvement with images of children and denying the presence of such material on his devices.

Tindall, who had no prior convictions, admitted to charges of making an indecent image of a child between November 2005 and 2006, and of distributing an indecent image of a child between January and September 2006. His sentence included 20 weeks in custody, suspended for two years, along with six months of supervision. Furthermore, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for five years, received a lifelong ban from working with children, and was ordered to pay costs of 414.

Judge Beverly Lunt expressed her dismay during sentencing, stating: "I have seen these images and it defies belief that any decent responsible member of society could come across the images of children that you did and not report it to the authorities."

The judge also noted testimonials praising Tindall as an upstanding, hardworking, and conscientious member of the community, but highlighted how appearances can be deceiving. She remarked: "It just goes to show you never really know someone as well as you think you do. Luckily for the authors, they haven’t had to see the images I have."

In her sentencing, Judge Lunt emphasized the severity of the offense, despite the defendant's claims of limited and non-violent interests. Defence lawyer Mr. Roderick Priestley stated that Tindall maintained he was not interested in children, and that while adult pornography was on his computer, the unlawful images were minimal. An experienced probation officer assessed that Tindall represented a low risk of reoffending and posed no significant future danger regarding such crimes, with support from his family, partner, workplace, and social circle.