SAM CROUCH CAUGHT WITH HUNDREDS OF CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN SAUL AND HALSTEAD
| Red Rose Database
Saul Child Sexual Abuser
In October 2018, a man from Saul, Gloucestershire, narrowly escaped imprisonment after authorities uncovered a disturbing collection of indecent images of children on his personal laptop. Sam Crouch, aged 31 and unemployed, was found to possess an alarming total of 900 such images, which included various categories of severity. The investigation began after Essex Police received a report on Sunday, August 26, detailing that Crouch had stored illicit material on his computer, with one of the images openly displayed as his laptop wallpaper, a clear indication of his disturbing interests.
Officers from Essex Police’s Online Investigation Team acted swiftly, seizing Crouch’s laptop from a property he had previously occupied in Halstead. During the subsequent search, they discovered a significant cache of illegal images: 646 in category C, 217 in category B, and 32 in the most severe category A. The police also recovered a mobile phone during the operation, which further revealed evidence of his illicit activities.
Following the initial investigation, authorities traced Crouch’s movements and learned that he had relocated to Gloucestershire. Once his new address was identified, law enforcement officers arrested him. The investigation revealed that Crouch had taken measures to conceal his illegal behavior by downloading multiple applications designed to hide or obscure his activities, yet he left his laptop unsecured at his previous residence, which ultimately led to his detection.
On Friday, September 7, Crouch admitted to the charges at Colchester Magistrates’ Court. Subsequently, on Wednesday, October 24, he appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court, where he was handed a nine-month sentence for each of the six counts of making indecent images of children, possession of extreme pornography, and possession of prohibited images. These sentences are to run concurrently but are suspended for 18 months. Additionally, Crouch has been placed on the sex offender register for a decade and has been issued a comprehensive sexual harm prevention order that will last for ten years.
As part of his sentencing, Crouch has been ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid community work, participate in a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement, and attend 26 sessions on a designated program aimed at addressing his behavior. Essex Police’s Detective Constable Paul Ross emphasized the severity of the case, stating, “Despite downloading numerous applications to hide and cover up his illegal behaviour and his interest in child pornography, he left an insecure laptop at a former address and fled the area in an effort to avoid justice. The fact that he had a sickening image as his own personal wallpaper showed the level of fascination he had in indecent images of children. It also showed his complete disregard for the consequences of his actions and the law.”
He concluded by noting, “Crouch is now a registered sex offender and is subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, meaning we are able to monitor his day-to-day and online activities closely.”
Officers from Essex Police’s Online Investigation Team acted swiftly, seizing Crouch’s laptop from a property he had previously occupied in Halstead. During the subsequent search, they discovered a significant cache of illegal images: 646 in category C, 217 in category B, and 32 in the most severe category A. The police also recovered a mobile phone during the operation, which further revealed evidence of his illicit activities.
Following the initial investigation, authorities traced Crouch’s movements and learned that he had relocated to Gloucestershire. Once his new address was identified, law enforcement officers arrested him. The investigation revealed that Crouch had taken measures to conceal his illegal behavior by downloading multiple applications designed to hide or obscure his activities, yet he left his laptop unsecured at his previous residence, which ultimately led to his detection.
On Friday, September 7, Crouch admitted to the charges at Colchester Magistrates’ Court. Subsequently, on Wednesday, October 24, he appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court, where he was handed a nine-month sentence for each of the six counts of making indecent images of children, possession of extreme pornography, and possession of prohibited images. These sentences are to run concurrently but are suspended for 18 months. Additionally, Crouch has been placed on the sex offender register for a decade and has been issued a comprehensive sexual harm prevention order that will last for ten years.
As part of his sentencing, Crouch has been ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid community work, participate in a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement, and attend 26 sessions on a designated program aimed at addressing his behavior. Essex Police’s Detective Constable Paul Ross emphasized the severity of the case, stating, “Despite downloading numerous applications to hide and cover up his illegal behaviour and his interest in child pornography, he left an insecure laptop at a former address and fled the area in an effort to avoid justice. The fact that he had a sickening image as his own personal wallpaper showed the level of fascination he had in indecent images of children. It also showed his complete disregard for the consequences of his actions and the law.”
He concluded by noting, “Crouch is now a registered sex offender and is subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, meaning we are able to monitor his day-to-day and online activities closely.”