ROWLAND LONG FROM WITHYWOOD CAUGHT WITH INDECENT CHILD IMAGES IN BRISTOL AND BANGKOK

In August 2012, a disturbing case emerged involving a man from Withywood who was found to possess indecent images of children after seeking computer repair services. The incident unfolded when Rowland Long, aged 58 and residing on Cobhorn Drive, took his computer to a local IT technician in Brislington to address persistent virus issues.

Approximately three days after dropping off his device, Long returned claiming he was experiencing problems with his internet connection. It was during this follow-up visit that the technician, while attempting to replicate the issues, uncovered something deeply troubling. The technician observed three websites displaying images of young children, which raised immediate concern. Although initially thought to be accidental downloads, further investigation revealed a collection of images and search terms specifically targeting minors, including explicit content involving children.

Following this discovery, police were promptly called to seize the computer. Long was arrested at the scene but chose not to comment during police interviews. A forensic examination of the device uncovered a total of 291 indecent images. Of these, 272 were classified as the lowest category, involving erotic posing of children, while nine images fell into a more serious category involving full abuse.

In the legal proceedings that followed, Long pleaded guilty to 16 counts of downloading indecent images of children from the internet. The case was heard at Bristol Crown Court, where His Honour Judge Neil Ford QC, the Recorder of Bristol, addressed Long directly. The judge acknowledged Long’s expression of remorse to a probation officer and emphasized that society would benefit more from a community-based sentence rather than incarceration. Consequently, Long was ordered to participate in a three-year community order, including the Internet Thames Valley Sex Offending Programme.

Additionally, Long was mandated to register as a sex offender for five years and was permanently disqualified from working with children. He was also ordered to pay £250 in court costs and had his computer forfeited.

Further details revealed that in August of the previous year, Long had failed to attend police bail after being summoned for questioning. It was later discovered that he had traveled to Bangkok in October, following the death of his mother-in-law. Long was arrested upon his return to Bristol in June after UK authorities notified Thai officials of his departure.

During the hearing, Long’s defense attorney, Nicholas Arthur, explained that Long was married to a 47-year-old Thai woman and that his trip to Thailand was motivated by personal reasons related to his family. Arthur also noted that only a small percentage—about three percent—of the images recovered were of the more serious category involving full abuse. He emphasized that the search terms used by Long did not directly access more extreme material, suggesting a limited scope of the content involved.

Overall, the case highlights the serious nature of online child exploitation and the legal consequences faced by those caught possessing such material, regardless of their location or circumstances.