STEPHEN WILLETT'S HORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE IMAGES SHOCK WASHFORD AND TAUNTON

In November 2017, a disturbing case emerged involving Stephen Willetts, a resident of Washford, who was found to have downloaded an extensive collection of indecent images depicting the sexual abuse of young children. The images included victims as young as three and four years old, highlighting the severity and depravity of his actions.

Willetts, aged 33 at the time, was employed as a manager at a Tesco store in Taunton. However, following his arrest and subsequent admission to charges, he resigned from his position. The charges against him centered on the possession of numerous indecent images of children, which he had accumulated over a period of time.

The investigation was initiated after the National Crime Agency (NCA) tipped off local police authorities. Authorities traced an image being uploaded to an IP address linked directly to Willetts, which led to his arrest on April 19 of that year. During the search of his residence, law enforcement officials discovered a staggering collection of illicit material: 555 images classified as Category A, indicating the most severe level of abuse; 198 images categorized as Category B; and 159 images falling under Category C. Additionally, police found extreme pornography on Willetts’ mobile phone, further underscoring the disturbing nature of his online activity.

At Taunton Crown Court, Judge David Evans addressed Willetts directly, condemning his actions as utterly repulsive. The judge emphasized that Willetts was part of a perverted online community that disregarded the profound harm inflicted upon innocent children. He stated, “These offences are disgusting. You are part of a perverted online community of individuals who disregard entirely the appalling harm that lies behind the creation of these images. Without people like you wanting to view these images, very few would be produced. These images beggar belief. Children as young as three and four being raped by adults — and somehow that gave you sexual gratification.”

Despite the gravity of the crimes, the judge decided against imposing a custodial sentence, citing the need for rehabilitation over imprisonment. Instead, Willetts was sentenced to a three-year community order for each of the three charges, to run concurrently. The court recognized that he posed a risk of re-offending, and therefore, a comprehensive plan was put in place to minimize this threat. As part of his sentence, Willetts was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid community work, participate in a sex offender’s treatment program, and undertake up to 45 days of rehabilitation activities.

Furthermore, Willetts was subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was placed on the sex offender register for a period of ten years, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions aimed at protecting the community from future harm.