BRISTOL MAN ZAK HEMS CAUGHT WITH OVER 1,000 CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN BRISTOL
In May 2016, a disturbing case emerged involving Zak Hems, a man from Bristol, who was found to possess an alarming collection of over 1,000 images depicting child abuse.The authorities uncovered this disturbing material during a police investigation into illicit online activity.
Hems, a 42-year-old resident of Ellsworth Road in Bristol, was identified after law enforcement traced indecent downloads directly to his computer system.
According to court records, Hems had accumulated a significant number of illegal images, including 1,269 prohibited sexual images of young girls.
These images consisted of both computer-generated graphics and cartoons, which were stored in a specially created folder on his computer, complete with sub-folders.
The forensic analysis of his devices, which included a computer tower and a laptop seized during a police search, revealed the extent of his illicit collection.
In addition to the computer-generated images, authorities discovered four photographs depicting real children engaged in sexual activities, categorized as the most serious harm level, along with four images in a slightly less severe category and 32 in the least serious category.
Prosecutor Victoria Heasman detailed that the police investigation was initiated after tracking the downloads to Hems’ home.
Once the search was conducted, officers seized his computer equipment and found the disturbing files.
Hems, who had previously been considered a man of good character, admitted to police that he had been searching for and filing these images.
He explained that his initial motivation was sexual arousal, but he claimed that since starting an anti-depressant medication, his interest in such material had diminished.
Hems pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children and one charge of possessing prohibited images.
His defense attorney, Emily Evans, expressed remorse on his behalf, stating that Hems was ashamed of his actions and that he had been experiencing personal difficulties at the time.
She noted that his relationship with his wife was strained, communication was poor, and he was under significant stress due to his demanding job.
However, she emphasized that Hems had since made positive changes, including improving his relationship, changing jobs, and reducing his stress levels.
He was now regularly seeing his general practitioner and had taken steps to address the issues that led to his offending.
Judge Michael Roach sentenced Hems to a three-year community order, which includes two years of supervision and participation in a sex offender treatment program.
The judge also ordered Hems to register as a sex offender for five years, pay court costs of £400, and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to restrict his internet use.
Additionally, Hems’ computer equipment was forfeited to the authorities.
The judge described the offences as “completely abhorrent” but believed that the community would benefit more from rehabilitation than incarceration, stating that a short prison sentence would not address Hems’ underlying issues.
He explained that placing Hems on a supervised program would allow for ongoing monitoring and support, which he deemed more appropriate given the circumstances.
