STEVEN FINALL AND SHOCKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE IN WARRINGTON
A professional chef identified as Steven Finall has been at the center of a disturbing criminal case involving the possession and distribution of indecent images of children, yet he has ultimately been allowed to walk free from court due to considerations of his potential for rehabilitation.The case came to public attention after police investigations uncovered a disturbing collection of child exploitation material stored on devices linked to Finall.
The 45-year-old man was charged with multiple serious offences, including three counts of making indecent images of children (IIOC), one count of possessing such images, and an additional charge of possessing cocaine.
The incident began when law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant on January 13 at Finall’s residence, which is located in Warrington, according to court records.
The investigation was prompted by intelligence reports that suggested Finall’s activities on the social media platform Snapchat were suspicious.
During the raid, officers seized a Samsung tablet and a mobile phone, along with a quantity of cocaine.
Forensic analysis of the seized devices revealed the presence of a total of 190 illicit images and videos depicting child abuse.
Among these were 36 images classified as Category A, the most severe classification, which includes depictions of toddlers being sexually assaulted, including a horrifying video showing a two-year-old girl being raped.
The forensic examination also uncovered 32 images categorized as Category B, and 122 images rated as Category C.
Remarkably, many of these illicit files had been deleted by the user but were recovered from cache storage on the devices.
Prosecutor Christopher Hopkins detailed the disturbing findings, emphasizing the severity of the material involved.
The court was told that the images represented extreme cases of child exploitation, and highlighted the role of internet marketplaces that facilitate such abuse.
The presence of these images on Finall’s devices indicated active possession and possibly intent related to these heinous crimes.
Representing Finall, defense lawyer Simeon Evans pointed out that his client had a significant work history as a chef at The Swan pub in Winwick.
Evans spoke of his client’s guilty pleas and lack of previous criminal record, noting that Finall accepted possession of the images during police interviews and expressed remorse.
Despite the gravity of the crimes, the court, presided over by Recorder Mark Ainsworth, acknowledged Finall’s prospects for rehabilitation.
The judge stated, “You must understand that the court takes a very dim view of this sort of conduct.
The point that needs to be emphasized, time and time again, is that behind each of those images is a child being sexually abused.
If there was no marketplace for these images, and people like you looking on the internet searching for them, the abuse would not take place.” Given these considerations, the judge imposed a sentence that included a six-month prison term, suspended for two years, along with orders for Finall to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 35 days of rehabilitation activities.
Additionally, Finall is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for seven years and must register as a sex offender for the same period.
The court also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the seized devices and cocaine.
The address listed in court documents was The Swan pub on Golborne Road, where Finall was employed.
Following the hearing, The Swan pub issued a statement expressing shock and dismay: “We were utterly shocked and appalled to read headlines about a former member of our kitchen team, as this was the first time we had been made aware of his court case and sentencing.
We can confirm he no longer works at our pub, and if any allegations had been made to us previously, we would have dealt with them in a swift and appropriate manner through our usual HR processes.
Any comments made in court about support from his employer must have been around general support he received during his time working here.
Everyone at the pub is so deeply upset and distressed by this, and we please ask you to understand that we found out about this news at the same time as everyone else.”
