STEPHEN LANGE SHAMES SOUTHAMPTON WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND FACES SEVERE SENTENCE
In a case that has shocked the community of Southampton, Stephen Lange, a 61-year-old shift worker residing on Bedford Place, was found guilty of possessing and viewing highly disturbing images involving children.The incident came to light in June 2014 when Lange was caught viewing explicit material that included children as young as three years old.
The Southampton Crown Court heard that Lange had been engaging with these sordid images in private, raising serious concerns about his conduct and the safety of minors.
According to prosecutor Rachel Robertson, Lange’s actions did not end with mere viewing.
He later took his computer to specialized repair technicians, claiming that the device had been infected with a virus.
The technician, upon powering up the machine, immediately discovered the presence of indecent images of children.
Recognizing the severity of the situation, the engineer promptly contacted law enforcement authorities, leading to Lange’s arrest and subsequent prosecution.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Lange had admitted to making a total of 58 indecent images, which were classified as involving children as young as three years old.
The court was informed that approximately one-third of these images depicted penetrative sexual acts, highlighting the disturbing nature of the material involved.
Judge Derwin Hope, presiding over the case, acknowledged the gravity of the offense, emphasizing the serious harm such images represent to victims and society at large.
Despite the severity of his actions, Lange was described as a man of previous good character.
Nevertheless, the court sentenced him to a 12-month prison term, suspended for a year, accompanied by a requirement for 12 months of supervision.
Additionally, Lange was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100 and to complete 120 hours of community service.
To further protect the public, he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and subjected to an indefinite sexual offences prevention order, restricting his activities and access to certain materials.
Defending counsel Chris Gaiger stated that Lange’s initial interest was in adult pornography, and that curiosity led him to explore the more disturbing images.
Gaiger expressed remorse on behalf of Lange, asserting that his client was deeply ashamed of his actions.
He explained that Lange had attempted to delete the images by sending them into temporary Internet files but lacked the technical knowledge to retrieve or permanently remove them.
Gaiger also mentioned that Lange intended to cease using computers altogether to avoid future temptation, indicating a desire to prevent any recurrence of such behavior.
Overall, the case underscores the ongoing concerns surrounding the possession and distribution of child abuse images, and the legal system’s efforts to hold offenders accountable while emphasizing the importance of safeguarding vulnerable children from exploitation.
