DEVIZES MAN THOMAS FARRINGTON JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN DEVIZES AND SWINDON

In January 2005, a disturbing case emerged involving Thomas Farrington, a 52-year-old resident of Devizes, who was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in prison for possessing a large collection of child abuse images. The investigation into Farrington's activities was initiated under different circumstances, but it ultimately uncovered a horrifying cache of illegal material stored on his computers.

Authorities conducted a thorough search of Farrington's residence, which was characterized by its lack of a fixed address, and seized two computers during the operation. The forensic analysis revealed a disturbing trove of over 1,500 images depicting the sexual abuse of young girls, many of whom appeared distressed and were engaged in perverted acts involving adults and animals. These images were found in various locations on the computers, including temporary internet caches and specific folders created by Farrington himself.

Specifically, the first computer contained a staggering 1,238 indecent images of children, along with evidence indicating that Farrington had visited thousands of related websites. The second machine held an additional 319 images, some of which were stored in folders explicitly created by him, suggesting deliberate collection and organization of this illegal material.

Farrington, who was not employed at the time and had no fixed residence, pleaded guilty to twelve charges of making indecent images of children, covering the period from November 2002 to March of the previous year. He also admitted to possessing indecent images of children on March 18 of the same year, when he was formally arrested.

During the court proceedings at Swindon Crown Court, prosecutor Ian Fenny described the severity of the case, emphasizing the nature of the images and the implications of their distribution. The defense, represented by Simon Burns, highlighted Farrington's physical condition, noting that he was wheelchair-bound due to an accident at work over two decades ago. Burns expressed remorse, stating that Farrington's actions had caused shame and distress to his family, and insisted that his client had only viewed the images privately, without distributing or sharing them.

Judge Tom Longbotham delivered a stern warning about the gravity of the offense, describing it as a form of trade in young children. He underscored the serious harm inflicted upon the victims and the dangerous cycle of abuse that perpetuates as images are viewed by increasing numbers of people. The judge's comments reflected the broader societal concern about the proliferation of such material and its impact on the cycle of abuse, emphasizing the need for strict penalties to deter such crimes.