RICHARD WILMOT FROM BRIDGWATER AND BRISTOL JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CRIMES

In a disturbing series of criminal acts spanning several years, Richard Wilmot, a man with connections to both Bridgwater and Bristol, has been convicted and sentenced for heinous offenses involving the abuse of a young boy and the possession of indecent images of children.

In September 2014, Wilmot was sentenced to two years in prison after a jury found him guilty of sexually abusing a seven-year-old boy at various locations, including a swimming pool and a park in Bristol. The court heard that Wilmot targeted the young victim, whom he tied up and assaulted in multiple ways. The victim, who was as young as seven, reported the abuse last year after discovering that Wilmot was already serving time for possessing indecent images of children.

When police officers responded to the allegations, they visited Wilmot at his residence and found him in possession of blue nylon rope, which was linked to the abuse. Wilmot, aged 33 at the time and residing at Glogan House Hostel in Bridgwater, denied eight charges of indecency with a child. However, after a seven-day trial held in August, the jury convicted him of all charges. Judge Euan Ambrose, presiding over the case, sentenced Wilmot to two years in prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender indefinitely. Additionally, Wilmot was issued an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with minors and restricts his internet use. He is also barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.

The court proceedings revealed that Wilmot had tied his young victim to a tree in a park near Emersons Green and molested him. The victim’s report to authorities came after Wilmot’s previous conviction for possessing indecent images of children, which added context to the ongoing concerns about his behavior.

Earlier, in May 2013, Wilmot was sentenced to 16 months in prison for breaching court orders related to his possession of child pornography. Despite multiple cautions, community orders, a suspended sentence, and a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, Wilmot continued to offend. When police visited his residence in January of that year, they discovered he was again engaging in illegal activities involving indecent images. Wilmot admitted to possessing 328 indecent images of children, including six of the most serious category five images. Police found children’s clothing and pictures cut from magazines under his bed, along with the images on his laptop.

Judge Michael Roach described Wilmot’s actions as “abhorrent” and expressed frustration at his repeated offenses, stating, “You’ve been in front of the authorities for this type of offence too many times now.” Wilmot was sentenced to an additional 16 months for the new charges and the suspended sentence was activated, meaning he would serve that time concurrently. The judge also imposed a new, indefinite SOPO, which bans any contact with minors unless supervised and approved by guardians or social services. Wilmot is also required to surrender his electronic devices for police inspection whenever requested.

Throughout the proceedings, it was acknowledged that Wilmot suffers from a “very deep rooted problem,” as noted by his legal representative, David Maunder, emphasizing the seriousness of his criminal conduct and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.