SIMON ROSE SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON IN SUSSEX FOR CHILD INDECENT IMAGES

In April 2012, Simon Rose, aged 35, was sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of possessing and distributing indecent images of children. Rose had previously been sentenced in 2009 at Chelmsford Crown Court, where he received a four-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting to possessing and downloading indecent images of children and attending a sex offenders programme.

Despite this earlier conviction, Rose left Essex to start anew, but his criminal activities continued. Last week, he was sentenced at Hove Crown Court in Sussex for breaching court orders and for new offenses involving indecent images. Rose, who was already on the sex offenders register, pleaded guilty to 20 offences of distributing and possessing indecent images, as well as possessing prohibited images. He also admitted to three breaches of a sexual offences prevention order and failure to comply with notification requirements.

He was served with an indefinite sexual offences prevention order and will remain a registered sex offender for life. Sussex Police launched their investigation into Rose in 2010 after new information surfaced indicating ongoing offending online. Evidence revealed that even while attending a treatment programme in Brighton, Rose used internet cafes to continue distributing indecent images.

Detective Constable Jane Tunnicliff commented: “Rose was still using the internet to distribute indecent images of very young children, mainly young boys, even after being sentenced for a similar offence. Every image is of child sexual abuse and exploitation.”

The history of his offenses dates back to June 2009, when police agents found Rose’s home in Wysteria Place, Chelmsford, had been ransacked. Initially, Rose and his wife thought it was a burglary, but police later seized a computer after discovering indecent images of children stored inside. In court, Rose avoided immediate imprisonment but received a four-month sentence, suspended for two years, along with orders to attend a sex offenders programme.

He had previously pleaded guilty to nine charges of making indecent images of children, ranging from level one to the most serious level four, and possessing 242 images. Detective Smallcombe of Essex Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit emphasized the importance of their investigation: “The sentence of Simon Rose sends out a clear message to those who use the internet to search for and share images of child abuse or attempt to groom children online.”

He added: “The internet is no longer a hiding place. Those who commit crimes online will be held accountable. I wonder if Simon Rose ever considers the damage done to the children—how their lives are probably forever scarred, all for the gratification of individuals like him.”

Police tracked Rose down through an international online investigation. On July 19 of the previous year, authorities executed a search warrant on his home, uncovering 20 printed images and further files on his computer. During questioning, Rose admitted he viewed adult pornography but had moved on to child pornography.

Rose’s defence advocate, James Mason, outlined the disruption caused to Rose and his wife, who subsequently moved to Hastings to escape community judgment and resigned from well-paid jobs. Rose has also sought help for his problems.

Judge Fenn told him: “This case is a wake-up call to you — to your credit, you've arranged to go on a course.”