Client Avoids Prison for Possession of Indecent Images

Case study summary

Our client pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images. Having struggled with drug and alcohol addiction he accepted he had viewed the images but since worked to turn his life around. We presented this strong mitigation to the court and they agreed prison was not appropriate.

Case study

Our client was a 40-year-old man who was arrested after the police were notified of illegal activity on his computer. Having been represented by another lawyer in his first interview, our client understood the severity of the situation and contacted us knowing we were specialists in this area.

Once instructed, we worked to support our client throughout the police investigation and subsequent court proceedings. Our client admitted the allegations and it was clear he had already begun to tackle the issues that led him to this situation. He explained that a woman he had a brief marital affair with introduced him to the 'dark web' of sexual content. While battling a drug and alcohol addiction, our client had lost all sense of reality and began viewing indecent images.

We discussed the offending with our client who confirmed that he knew what he had done was wrong. Since his arrest, he had undertaken counselling, attended drug and alcohol support groups and repaired his relationship with his wife. Crucially for him, his wife knew every detail of his case and wrote a statement confirming to the court that she wanted our client to return home to her and their children. We used all of this information to prepare the case and represented our client at the magistrates court.

Despite an immediate prison sentence being a real possibility, we persuaded the court that sending our client to prison would only restart the battles he had worked to overcome. We presented the court with strong mitigation, including a probation report identifying him as a low risk, and a suspended sentence was given as a result. Our client was relieved to be able to leave court that date and continue his journey in recovery and support of his family.