March 2010 Bristol man watched child porn ‘for the thrill of breaking law’ A 27-year-old man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after looking at hundreds of ‘vile’ images and videos of children being sexually abused. Samuel Hepworth, of Old Bread Street, Bristol, told police he came across the pornography by accident and Bristol Crown Court heard he became curious and that looking at the material “thrilled him because it was illegal”. James Ward, prosecuting, said Hepworth was traced through a credit card he used to access various websites, which he subscribed to in order to view indecent images. He said Hepworth’s home was raided in 2008 and a computer was seized along with discs. The court was told that a total of 306 indecent images were found, along with dozens of films. Mr Ward said: “He said he had got them by accident and became curious. He said he thought they were sick but it thrilled him because it was illegal to have them. He said he was not interested in children.” Hepworth admitted making indecent photographs of children at an earlier hearing. Simon Burns, defending, stressed his client had pleaded guilty, was of previous good character and the offences were old. He said a report on Hepworth concluded he came from a “remarkably balanced background” and had an extremely supportive family. Mr Burns said: “This episode is behind him – curiosity got the better of him. “He is in employment, he has a good job and a good business.” Judge Martin Picton handed Hepworth a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, and told him to pay £1,500 court costs. He told Hepworth: “What you did was very wrong. They were vile images. Real children are being really abused; real crimes are taking place. “You kept it and transferred it and that is difficult to understand.” The judge conceded a small amount of images was recovered, the majority of which were at the lower levels of seriousness. He said Hepworth was “not beyond redemption” and appreciated that he was frank and open when questioned. Hepworth was told to undergo the Thames Valley sex offenders programme for 60 days and register as a sex offender for seven years.