SCUNTHORPE MAN STEVEN TOWSE SENTENCED FOR OVER 2000 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES IN GRIMSBY
| Red Rose Database
Scunthorpe Child Sexual Abuser
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Scunthorpe, a man named Steven Towse, aged 47, has been handed a substantial prison sentence after authorities uncovered a staggering collection of over 2,000 indecent images of children on his personal computer. The incident was brought to light during a police investigation that revealed Towse's involvement in the possession and distribution of these illicit materials.
According to court records, Towse, residing on St Margaret's Walk in Scunthorpe, faced nine criminal charges. These included seven counts related to the possession of indecent images with the intent to distribute them, as well as two charges concerning the possession of extreme images. The case was prosecuted at Grimsby Crown Court, where the evidence painted a troubling picture of the defendant's online activities.
Prosecutor Gordon Stables detailed that the images were obtained by Towse through an internet file-sharing network, a platform often used for sharing illicit content. The police investigation revealed that Towse had made these images accessible for other users of the network to download directly from his computer, raising serious concerns about the potential distribution of child exploitation material.
The police action took place in May 2012, when officers seized Towse’s computer from his residence. An extensive analysis of the device uncovered a total of 2,069 indecent images of children, including 186 video files. Additionally, the computer contained 58 images classified as extreme, which involve more severe and disturbing content. The evidence suggested a deliberate effort by Towse to share these images, as they were stored in a folder labeled “shared,” and the user account on the computer was registered under the name “Steve.”
During police interviews in December 2012, Towse initially claimed that he was not responsible for the images, asserting that nobody else had access to his computer. He also maintained that he was unaware of the content, claiming that the images must have been present when he purchased the computer from an unnamed man in a pub. Despite these denials, the evidence pointed to his ownership and control over the files.
At a court hearing last September, Towse pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, just three days before his scheduled trial, he changed his plea to guilty, acknowledging his involvement in the possession and distribution of the illicit images. The court was informed that Towse had no prior convictions related to such offenses and that he did not stand to gain financially from sharing the images.
Mitigating his sentence, lawyer Michele Stuart-Lofthouse requested that the court recognize Towse’s guilty plea and the absence of previous convictions. She also highlighted that Towse was suffering from ongoing health issues. Despite these mitigating factors, Recorder Euan Duff sentenced Towse to 39 months in prison. The court also imposed a sexual offences prevention order to restrict his future conduct and protect the community from potential harm.
This case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat the distribution of child exploitation material and highlights the importance of vigilance in safeguarding vulnerable children from online abuse.
According to court records, Towse, residing on St Margaret's Walk in Scunthorpe, faced nine criminal charges. These included seven counts related to the possession of indecent images with the intent to distribute them, as well as two charges concerning the possession of extreme images. The case was prosecuted at Grimsby Crown Court, where the evidence painted a troubling picture of the defendant's online activities.
Prosecutor Gordon Stables detailed that the images were obtained by Towse through an internet file-sharing network, a platform often used for sharing illicit content. The police investigation revealed that Towse had made these images accessible for other users of the network to download directly from his computer, raising serious concerns about the potential distribution of child exploitation material.
The police action took place in May 2012, when officers seized Towse’s computer from his residence. An extensive analysis of the device uncovered a total of 2,069 indecent images of children, including 186 video files. Additionally, the computer contained 58 images classified as extreme, which involve more severe and disturbing content. The evidence suggested a deliberate effort by Towse to share these images, as they were stored in a folder labeled “shared,” and the user account on the computer was registered under the name “Steve.”
During police interviews in December 2012, Towse initially claimed that he was not responsible for the images, asserting that nobody else had access to his computer. He also maintained that he was unaware of the content, claiming that the images must have been present when he purchased the computer from an unnamed man in a pub. Despite these denials, the evidence pointed to his ownership and control over the files.
At a court hearing last September, Towse pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, just three days before his scheduled trial, he changed his plea to guilty, acknowledging his involvement in the possession and distribution of the illicit images. The court was informed that Towse had no prior convictions related to such offenses and that he did not stand to gain financially from sharing the images.
Mitigating his sentence, lawyer Michele Stuart-Lofthouse requested that the court recognize Towse’s guilty plea and the absence of previous convictions. She also highlighted that Towse was suffering from ongoing health issues. Despite these mitigating factors, Recorder Euan Duff sentenced Towse to 39 months in prison. The court also imposed a sexual offences prevention order to restrict his future conduct and protect the community from potential harm.
This case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat the distribution of child exploitation material and highlights the importance of vigilance in safeguarding vulnerable children from online abuse.