TERENCE WALDING FROM MARAZION ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE DOWNLOAD OF OVER 2000 CHILD INDECENT IMAGES

In a case that has shocked the community of Marazion, 66-year-old Terence Walding was found to have downloaded and possessed an alarming collection of indecent images of children, with the total exceeding 2,000. The disturbing discovery came to light during police investigations in February of the previous year, when officers executed a search at Walding’s residence in Market Place.

During the search, law enforcement officials seized two computers from Walding’s home. An examination of the devices revealed a significant number of pornographic images depicting minors as young as two years old. Despite Walding’s initial denials during police interviews, claiming he was not seeking or interested in such material, experts confirmed the presence of illegal content on his computers. The images found ranged across all levels of severity as classified by police standards, and depicted children aged between two and twelve years old.

At an earlier hearing, Walding pleaded guilty to 13 counts related to the downloading and possession of indecent images. These charges included nine counts of making indecent images, two counts of possessing extreme pornographic material, and two counts of possessing prohibited images of children. The court was informed that the images fell into various categories based on their explicitness and severity, highlighting the disturbing nature of the material involved.

Representing the defendant, solicitor Terry Eastwood described Walding as a man who was deeply lonely and dedicated full-time to caring for his wife, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. Eastwood emphasized that Walding was a retired individual with a history of military service, and portrayed him as a man with limited social interactions, spending most of his time confined to his home environment.

The court heard that Walding’s actions had serious implications, but also considered his personal circumstances. As part of his sentence, he was given a six-month prison term, suspended for two years, meaning he would not serve time unless he committed further offenses within that period. Additionally, Walding was ordered to participate in a specialized internet sex offenders’ treatment program, placed under probation supervision for two years, and required to register as a sex offender for seven years. A sexual offences prevention order was also imposed to restrict his activities and monitor his behavior.

These proceedings follow a previous hearing in May 2014, where Walding admitted to downloading over 2,000 indecent images of children. At that time, he was granted conditional bail and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register, with a court date set for sentencing on June 20. The case has garnered significant attention due to the serious nature of the crimes and the impact on the local community of Marazion.