SIMON BOUDTHREAT FROM COWGATE FACES JAIL OVER CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN NEWCASTLE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community, Simon Boustead, a resident of Cowgate, is now facing potential imprisonment after authorities uncovered a disturbing collection of child abuse images stored on his electronic devices. The investigation began when police seized Boustead's devices from his home in Newcastle, revealing a collection that had been accumulated over nearly a decade.

During the court proceedings at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court, it was revealed that Boustead's collection included some of the most serious types of child exploitation material. Specifically, some images were classified as Category A, which involves the most severe forms of abuse, including penetrative sexual acts. In addition to these, photographs categorized as B and C were also discovered, indicating a range of exploitative content.

Simon Boustead, who resides at Birling Place in Cowgate, was formally charged and appeared before the magistrates to plead guilty to three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child. The prosecutor, Cheryl Ford, provided details about the timeline of the downloads, stating that the images were obtained between July 31, 2009, and June 26, 2018. She emphasized that the evidence pointed to a prolonged period during which Boustead possessed these illicit images.

Ms. Ford further explained that the police had found the images on devices seized from Boustead, and that the nature of the content was so serious that the case was deemed unsuitable for sentencing in the magistrates' court. She highlighted that the starting point for sentencing for possession of Category A images is typically one year in custody, reflecting the gravity of the offense.

Following the guilty plea, the magistrates agreed to release Boustead on unconditional bail, with a scheduled appearance at Newcastle Crown Court set for March 25. They also ordered the preparation of a pre-sentence report to determine appropriate sentencing measures. In accordance with legal requirements, Boustead was instructed to visit his local police station to sign the Sex Offenders' Register, a standard procedure in cases involving sexual offenses against minors.