STEPHEN GORHAM FROM ALDERSHOT JAILED AGAIN FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

In May 2017, the town of Aldershot witnessed the re-imprisonment of Stephen Gorham, a man with a troubling history linked to child exploitation images. Gorham, aged 53 and a married father, had previously served a six-year sentence after being found in possession of over 2,000 indecent images of children. Despite his prior conviction, he continued to engage in illegal activities related to child abuse material, leading to his latest incarceration.

Authorities uncovered that Gorham had downloaded hundreds of new images depicting child abuse. The investigation was initiated after police seized multiple electronic devices from his residence on Heron Wood Road, Aldershot. Among the items confiscated were a laptop and a hard drive, which contained a significant collection of illicit images and videos. The police investigation revealed that Gorham had actively searched for indecent images, as evidenced by his browsing history.

During the court proceedings at Winchester Crown Court on Friday, May 12, the prosecution, led by James Kellam, detailed the extent of the material found. The authorities had seized a total of 13 devices, with the laptop and hard drive containing dozens of images and videos of children engaged in sexual activities. Specifically, the evidence included 22 images classified as Category A, which is considered the most severe form of child abuse imagery, along with 49 images categorized as B, and approximately 400 images classified as C. Additionally, there was one Category A moving image, a Category B video, and three films falling under Category C.

Gorham pleaded guilty to five counts of making indecent images of children. The court heard that he had admitted to possessing these images, which included 21 still images and one video of the most serious category. The police investigation also uncovered that Gorham had a history of similar offenses. In 2011, he was sentenced to eight months in jail after authorities discovered a collection of images depicting young teenagers. At that time, Gorham was serving as a special constable with Hampshire Police, a role he resigned from in April 2011 following his initial conviction. The judge at that time, Judge Guy Boney, condemned Gorham for bringing a 'dark shadow' over the police uniform and damaging the reputation of Hampshire Police.

Representing Gorham during the recent hearing, Alexandra Scott argued that her client was highly motivated to seek help for his ongoing issues. She suggested that a community order, including unpaid work, would be a suitable sentence, emphasizing that Gorham would face significant consequences such as losing his accommodation and employment if a custodial sentence was imposed. Scott stressed that Gorham was not someone who refused to accept responsibility, acknowledging that his actions were wrong and recognizing the harm caused by the illegal images.

In response, Recorder Nick Atkinson QC sentenced Gorham to two years in prison. He also ordered Gorham to register as a sex offender indefinitely, underscoring the seriousness of his offenses and the need for ongoing monitoring to protect the community from potential harm.