ROY HOBSON FROM LOUTH ESCAPES PRISON AFTER ADMITTING TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In a case that has shocked the community of Louth, Roy Hobson, a 66-year-old former police officer, faced Lincoln Crown Court to admit to serious charges related to the possession and downloading of indecent images of children. The incident came to light after police executed a raid on his residence in Wellington Street earlier this year, in February, leading to a detailed investigation into his activities.

Hobson, who was once regarded as a highly respected figure within the local community and was involved with the Louth Riverhead Theatre, was not at home during the police raid. However, he maintained communication with officers via telephone, providing them with crucial information about the location of his illicit material. According to the prosecution, Andrew Vout, police had received intelligence linking Hobson’s IP address to the presence of indecent images. When officers arrived at his residence, they found that Hobson was not present, but his wife was. She was contacted by phone, and during the conversation, Hobson confirmed that the images were stored on a memory stick connected to the computer’s hub.

Subsequently, police seized various computer devices, and forensic analysis revealed the presence of numerous indecent images of children on both the memory stick and the computer. Hobson, who was charged with multiple offenses, admitted to possessing a total of 605 indecent photographs of children, with the images dating from September 2012 to February of this year. Among these, twelve were classified as the most serious category, some depicting girls as young as seven years old being subjected to sexual abuse.

In court, Hobson pleaded guilty to three charges related to the creation and possession of these images. The court heard that his actions had serious implications, as each image represented a child who had been subjected to sexual abuse in the most heinous manner. Despite the gravity of the offenses, Judge Simon Hirst opted for a sentence that included an eight-month jail term, suspended for two years, along with a two-year community order. The order also mandated up to 30 days of rehabilitation activities. Additionally, Hobson was placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and was subject to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order. His computer equipment was confiscated as part of the proceedings.

Delivering the sentence, Judge Hirst emphasized the damaging impact of such offenses, stating, “This type of offending is not victimless. Every still photograph and every part of a film has the face of a child who has been sexually abused in the most cruel way imaginable. In behaving the way you did, you encouraged the making of these images.” The judge acknowledged that under sentencing guidelines, Hobson could have faced a short prison sentence, but he believed that continued counseling and treatment would better serve public protection and rehabilitation.

Despite the serious nature of the case, the judge also recognized the positive references from Hobson’s family and community members, who spoke highly of him prior to this incident. However, Judge Hirst made it clear that Hobson’s reputation and good character had been irrevocably damaged. “You have lost your good character. You have lost your good name and lost your reputation. All of that can never come back,” he concluded, underscoring the profound consequences of his actions on his personal life and standing within the community of Louth.