By Lucy Caulkett-
A 77-year-old pensioner from Queensbury, has been sentenced for accessing indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Graham Reeve appeared before Bradford Crown Court where he admitted to making 12 indecent images of children between March 28 and December 17, 2020, and possessing extreme pornography during the same period.
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Reeve, who initially blamed the impact of the coronavirus pandemic for his actions, faced strong condemnation from the court. Mr Recorder Anthony Hawks dismissed his justification outright. “I reject that entirely.
I also reject your suggestion that you derived no sexual gratification from looking at these images,” he stated. “If it wasn’t for people like you wanting to view these images, then they wouldn’t be created.
You are as responsible as the people that make these perverted and disgusting images.”
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The court was particularly troubled by the fact that Reeve engaged in discussions about these images with others sharing similar perversions. “The most worrying one, in my judgment, is that not only were you watching these images…but you were talking about them to other like-minded perverts.
I hope you are absolutely ashamed of yourself,” said Recorder Hawks.
The court’s verdict was a suspended sentence of 12 months in prison, effective for two years.
Additionally, Reeve is required to complete 50 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
He has been subjected to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which will regulate his internet use, and has been placed on the sex offender’s register for the same duration.
All paraphernalia seized in connection with the offenses is to be forfeited and destroyed.
The Covid-19 lockdowns, which saw a surge in internet usage, unfortunately also saw an increase in the consumption and distribution of illegal content online.
The Covid-19 pandemic led to widespread lockdowns and restrictions, significantly increasing the amount of time people spent online. This period saw a notable rise in cybercrimes, including the distribution and consumption of child sexual exploitation materials.
Law enforcement agencies have been working diligently to combat this rise, employing advanced technological tools to track and prosecute offenders.
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