Sex offender dad jailed for indecent child images

Repeat offender Matthew Griffiths had been convicted of similar offences in 2005 and Worcester judge Nicolas Cartwright, speaking at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday, said the defendant had plainly not been rehabilitated, asking him how he would feel if his own children were treated in a similar way.

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The defendant, who appeared to have no bag of belongings in preparation for any potential prison sentence, turned pale in the dock when he learned he would be going straight to prison.

JAILED: Matthew Griffiths. Photo: West Mercia Police

The 42-year-old, who was said to still enjoy the support of his wife, admitted making indecent images of children at category A (the most serious level), category B and C and having extreme pornographic images involving animals. In total there were 5 images at category A, 10 at category B and 4 at category C and eight extreme pornographic images.

The judge in his sentencing remarks said the ages of the victims in the category A images were seven to nine years old, 10 and between 14 and 16.

Ravi Sidhu, prosecuting, said the indecent material was found on the defendant's Samsung mobile phone when he was arrested on May 25 last year.

When interviewed by police Griffiths answered 'no comment'. He has a conviction for eight 'similar offences' from 2005, the offending itself taking place in 2002. That resulted in a three year community order, revoked in 2007 'for what appears to be good behaviour' said Mr Sidhu.

SENTENCE: The case was heard at Worcester Crown Court

Referring to the recent offences, Mr Sidhu said: "This is an escalation of his offending."

The prosecutor argued that the earlier conviction for similar offences was an aggravating feature.

Julia Needham, defending, said it was simple possession of the images with no evidence of distribution and that the majority of the images were at category B, rather than A.

Mrs Needham said: "There were hundreds of images and videos on the device - hundreds of legal images."

However, she stressed she was 'not trying to undermine the seriousness of the offences' but that some non-illegal material had also been downloaded at the same time.

She described how, at the time, her client had been in an 'unfortunate position' with repeated postponements of his bowel cancer screening during the pandemic.

Urging the judge to suspend the inevitable prison sentence, Mrs Needham also said that his last conviction for similar offences was in 2005 but that the offending happened in 2002 - 20 years ago.

She argued that he could take part in the Horizon programme designed to rehabilitate sex offenders.

Describing Griffiths as a father-of-three in full time employment, she provided a reference from his wife 'who remains supportive of him'.

FIRM: Judge Nicolas Cartwright described the images as 'appalling' and told Griffiths only immediate custody was appropriate.

Judge Nicolas Cartwright told the defendant: "As a father-of-three children I invite you to think about the offending portrayed in the images that were seen on your equipment. The children shown in the images that you have an interest in were plainly subjected to the most appalling sexual abuse - and photographed while it went on. You would plainly be horrified if someone did such things to your children."

He added: "As well as the emotional and psychological harm that simply must have been caused to these poor victims they will also no doubt - those of them that are still alive - have the additional burden of knowing there is photographic evidence of those dreadful crimes being committed upon them and that these photographs and, where it is moving images, films are out there on the internet for people with a sexual interest like yours to look at if they choose to do so."

Because it was 'repeat offending', Judge Cartwright told Griffiths of Abbotsmead Road, Hereford: "It does have to be immediate custody."

Griffiths was jailed for 12 months. Judge Cartwright also made a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years which restricts the defendant's use of the internet and gives police extra powers to monitor his devices which must retain and display the history of internet use and be made available for inspection on request by police.

The forfeiture and destruction of the phone was also ordered. As a sex offender, notification and registration provisions also apply for the next 10 years.