Community Order - Category A Indecent Images and Extreme Pornography - Wood Green Crown Court 2025

Our client appeared before Wood Green Crown Court after pleading guilty in the Magistrates’ Court to three charges relating to possession of indecent images of children and extreme pornography. The allegation concerned material found on our client’s devices which were seized by police following receipt of intelligence indicating that he had been accessing indecent images. Forensic analysis revealed that thousands of Category C images had been in our client’s possession, as well as one Category A image (the most serious type) and some extreme pornographic material.

Upon consideration of the evidence, we advised our client to plead guilty to ensure he received full credit, which he accepted. When our client originally appeared before the Magistrates’ Court to be sentenced, the District Judge determined that the seriousness of the offending rendered the case in excess of his sentencing powers, and therefore committed it to the Crown Court. A sentencing hearing was listed at Wood Green Crown Court very soon thereafter.

Despite the quick turnaround, we prepared the case pending the new sentence date, including drafting a sentencing note and obtaining mitigation evidence from our client’s psychotherapist. We also took instructions from our client regarding the terms of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which the Crown sought, to enable us to make submissions to ensure that our client was able to continue work as a small business owner. Senior Solicitor Advocate Jonathan Lynn was instructed to attend the hearing to represent our client.

Although our client’s case carried a minimum starting point of 1 year’s imprisonment, the Judge took into account the mitigation put forward by the Defence and accepted that there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. Our client also received 33% off any sentence he was facing after following our advice to plead guilty. Consequently, our client was handed a 24-month Community Order, avoiding a prison sentence entirely. This also means that he will be on the Sex Offenders Register for only 5 years, which is half the length of time that he could have been facing. The Sentencing Judge was further persuaded by our submissions in relation to the SHPO, and made the Order on terms which allowed our client to continue his successful business. We are thrilled that our client can move on from his past mistakes and start rebuilding his life.