Help pls
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I don't really know how to start this but I got a call back in July from my mum telling me that my dad had been arrested for possession and distribution of indecent images. my parents aren't together and I never had a great relationship with my dad. The reason the police called my mum was to tell her his bail conditions mean he can't contact my younger sister who is 14. Mum had the option of a social worker to help out but she declined and the social worker advised if he was even found not guilty then there would be an assessment before she could have contact with my dad again.
I have tried to contact my dad but have heard nothing all I have had is a couple of chats with his new gf. She has said that my dad was downloading a film and the file must have been on there by accident. The films distribute as you downloaded it hence the distribution as well. She said it happened a year ago and that he was out on bail and they had not charged him with anything.
I know he did download films so this isn't hard to believe I think?
skip to now and they have extended his bail another 3 months (to the start of Jan) which really messed with my head because I just want to know what will happen.
Mum was informed of the bail being extended and she asked the officer if it would go to court in which he said that they wouldn't have arrested him without any digital evidence.
I don't know how it works with the law if he never actually opened it and didn't mean to do it. He's saying he didn't know it was there.
If he's telling the truth and all they have is that one time will they still charge him?
Will they extend bail again?
I just want answers because I just about mentally got through the first few months but to extend it really hit me hard.
I don't know what happens next if they do charge him.
Will the court information be public? Can I go?
Any advice or information would be appreciated.
I just feel like surely if he never even opened it they won't charge him but I don't know the laws around it?
I have tried to contact my dad but have heard nothing all I have had is a couple of chats with his new gf. She has said that my dad was downloading a film and the file must have been on there by accident. The films distribute as you downloaded it hence the distribution as well. She said it happened a year ago and that he was out on bail and they had not charged him with anything.
I know he did download films so this isn't hard to believe I think?
skip to now and they have extended his bail another 3 months (to the start of Jan) which really messed with my head because I just want to know what will happen.
Mum was informed of the bail being extended and she asked the officer if it would go to court in which he said that they wouldn't have arrested him without any digital evidence.
I don't know how it works with the law if he never actually opened it and didn't mean to do it. He's saying he didn't know it was there.
If he's telling the truth and all they have is that one time will they still charge him?
Will they extend bail again?
I just want answers because I just about mentally got through the first few months but to extend it really hit me hard.
I don't know what happens next if they do charge him.
Will the court information be public? Can I go?
Any advice or information would be appreciated.
I just feel like surely if he never even opened it they won't charge him but I don't know the laws around it?
Hi Kes,
My person was adamant he hadn't purposely downloaded the files and the police agreed with us that they knew it was accidental. However, he pleaded guilty to possession as he was told if it went to trial he would end up with a custodial sentence. Personally I think this is a ploy by the police to bump their conviction stats for sex offenders but that's my opinion.
I stood by my person as I'd known him for 25 years and there were no red flags prior to the knock. I don't condone what happened and regularly think about the victims of those images, I also know he is a good person and I've had to work hard to separate him from the trauma he's managed to inflict on the family.
You have to go with your gut feeling as to whether you support your dad. Just don't take everything the police say or do at face value as they have their own agenda.
My person had been downloading films and music and this is how it happened. The file program he used is still available on Google and the press had a field day saying he had access to the dark Web. He had no idea how to access that and had never tried.
If the police have extended bail it could be because they haven't finished checking his devices yet.
My person was adamant he hadn't purposely downloaded the files and the police agreed with us that they knew it was accidental. However, he pleaded guilty to possession as he was told if it went to trial he would end up with a custodial sentence. Personally I think this is a ploy by the police to bump their conviction stats for sex offenders but that's my opinion.
I stood by my person as I'd known him for 25 years and there were no red flags prior to the knock. I don't condone what happened and regularly think about the victims of those images, I also know he is a good person and I've had to work hard to separate him from the trauma he's managed to inflict on the family.
You have to go with your gut feeling as to whether you support your dad. Just don't take everything the police say or do at face value as they have their own agenda.
My person had been downloading films and music and this is how it happened. The file program he used is still available on Google and the press had a field day saying he had access to the dark Web. He had no idea how to access that and had never tried.
If the police have extended bail it could be because they haven't finished checking his devices yet.
The police will be able to see when the file was last accessed and if it is on a part of the device where it is accesible. But if it is, then the onus is on the person to demonstrate that it was accidental. So they will also check to see what he has been searching for and if there were any searches for porn, then that will be used against him.
We have had an independant expert check check the phone, it is 5 images the police have no idea when these were downloaded as there is no search history either, they have said that it could have been an accidental click, the case was only part heard as ran out of time we are back in January, my oh has pleaded not guilty as he never searched for them it was a load of numbers he clicked on kik, the police have said its because they were in his gallery but a lot of apps have automatic settings that save everything to gallery, bail conditions place no restrictions at all on our daughter we had an initial meeting with social work that lasted around 30 mins
I think similar happened with my family member images had been deleted but some where still accessible but police said not the naked eye but in court they said 40 still accessible ??? can anyone elaborate, person swears when he received when he realised the content he panicked he suffered social anxiety and never been in trouble.in his life these images where sent to him via a link his charge wasn't for downloading , sharing, asking for etc just because when the police plugged the phone in to their device the horrific images some images made up/not real, appeared even though deleted ??? he got bail to a different address but the court date a few weeks later the judge threw out any bail conditions so he had no bail conditions or restrictions whilst phone was investigated, the media blew it all out of proportion with working etc he has to take accountability as they where at one point on his phone but again as he's a very anxious person when the lawyer said if u plead guilty there will be a trial etc and the images where there so if found guilty then could be worse consequences I would have pleaded not guilty myself if it was my situation but when yiur a person that's never been in trouble its a scary process I think he thought by deleting it would be ok , he was never charged for searching anything etc because he wasn't but again media didn't elaborate on all of that they went full throttle with the bad stuff he disnt get the chance to explain anything because he was too scared and dumbstruck etc but we have to move forward , he got a payback order and a tag which the Social worker wasn't happy with as automatic comes with 5 years on SOR and he's deemed as low risk, no courses to attend or anything I just wished he was heard a bit more but again we all deal.with things differently..hopefully your people or persons is listened to and if all is said what to be true then it will be brought up fingers crossed , I too always think of the children that suffer when these images are sent they are far to freely accessed its vile I am terrified to download any apps these days