SIMON KING FROM HAUGHTON FACES JAIL FOR CHILD IMAGE OFFENSES NEAR OSWESTRY
| Red Rose Database
Haughton Child Sexual Abuser
In a serious legal case that has garnered significant attention, Simon King, a businessman from Haughton, is now facing potential imprisonment after being found guilty of possessing indecent images of children. The charges stem from a police investigation that uncovered a disturbing collection of illicit material stored on his personal computer.
The incident came to light when authorities seized King's computer from his farmhouse in Haughton, a village situated near Oswestry. During the examination of the device, investigators discovered nearly 170 images and videos, both still and moving, that depicted children in explicit and illegal contexts. These files were stored across five different hard drives, indicating a significant amount of illicit material.
Simon King, aged 47 and owner of Halcyon Furniture, was brought to trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court. The proceedings lasted two days, during which a jury deliberated and ultimately convicted him on all five charges related to the possession of indecent images of children. King maintained that he was unaware of the presence of these images on his computer, asserting that he neither downloaded nor created the files himself. Despite his claims, the evidence was sufficient for a conviction.
The charges included three counts of possessing indecent still images of children. Among these images, 38 were classified as Category A, indicating the most severe level of indecency. An additional four images fell into Category B, with the remaining 119 categorized as Category C. Furthermore, King was found guilty of two counts involving the possession of five moving images of children, four of which were also classified as Category A, underscoring the seriousness of the material involved.
Following the verdict, Judge Jim Tindal adjourned the case to allow for pre-sentence reports to be prepared. During the proceedings, the judge issued a stern warning to King, emphasizing that he could face a custodial sentence due to the gravity of the crimes.
Throughout the trial, King showed no visible emotion as the jury delivered their guilty verdict. He was granted bail and is scheduled to return to Shrewsbury Crown Court on February 24 for sentencing, where the full extent of his punishment will be determined. The case has raised concerns about online safety and the importance of vigilance in preventing the distribution and possession of illegal images involving minors.
The incident came to light when authorities seized King's computer from his farmhouse in Haughton, a village situated near Oswestry. During the examination of the device, investigators discovered nearly 170 images and videos, both still and moving, that depicted children in explicit and illegal contexts. These files were stored across five different hard drives, indicating a significant amount of illicit material.
Simon King, aged 47 and owner of Halcyon Furniture, was brought to trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court. The proceedings lasted two days, during which a jury deliberated and ultimately convicted him on all five charges related to the possession of indecent images of children. King maintained that he was unaware of the presence of these images on his computer, asserting that he neither downloaded nor created the files himself. Despite his claims, the evidence was sufficient for a conviction.
The charges included three counts of possessing indecent still images of children. Among these images, 38 were classified as Category A, indicating the most severe level of indecency. An additional four images fell into Category B, with the remaining 119 categorized as Category C. Furthermore, King was found guilty of two counts involving the possession of five moving images of children, four of which were also classified as Category A, underscoring the seriousness of the material involved.
Following the verdict, Judge Jim Tindal adjourned the case to allow for pre-sentence reports to be prepared. During the proceedings, the judge issued a stern warning to King, emphasizing that he could face a custodial sentence due to the gravity of the crimes.
Throughout the trial, King showed no visible emotion as the jury delivered their guilty verdict. He was granted bail and is scheduled to return to Shrewsbury Crown Court on February 24 for sentencing, where the full extent of his punishment will be determined. The case has raised concerns about online safety and the importance of vigilance in preventing the distribution and possession of illegal images involving minors.