Charges and experience
Notifications OFF
Hello,
Reaching out for a bit of support re experience of the system. My partner is facing charges for 10 cat A images/moving images. I want to support him as I know this has been a consequence of years of struggling with addiction, abuse and trauma in silence however all I keep reading online is that it is likely he will receive a custodial sentence.
We are young and were in the process of booking our wedding when we got the knock (April 2023), have had little to no contact since then other than initial charges following a quick device search. I really do want to continue with our future but the prospect of prison and the consequences for the rest of our lives, families and friends is filling me with dread. Mentally I'm just about holding on and I think him ending up in prison would be the straw that broke the camels back so to speak.
I suppose I don't really have a question as such but if anyone has any experience of small number of images although the most serious, it would be good to hear outcomes albeit 'positive' or 'negative' whether these words still exist in the current circumstances.
Thanks
Reaching out for a bit of support re experience of the system. My partner is facing charges for 10 cat A images/moving images. I want to support him as I know this has been a consequence of years of struggling with addiction, abuse and trauma in silence however all I keep reading online is that it is likely he will receive a custodial sentence.
We are young and were in the process of booking our wedding when we got the knock (April 2023), have had little to no contact since then other than initial charges following a quick device search. I really do want to continue with our future but the prospect of prison and the consequences for the rest of our lives, families and friends is filling me with dread. Mentally I'm just about holding on and I think him ending up in prison would be the straw that broke the camels back so to speak.
I suppose I don't really have a question as such but if anyone has any experience of small number of images although the most serious, it would be good to hear outcomes albeit 'positive' or 'negative' whether these words still exist in the current circumstances.
Thanks
Everyone's outcome is so different it's hard to compare. However, my oh had a handful of cat A and a couple of cat B (slightly fewer images than your person in total) and received a 3 year community order which the solicitor and therapist were disappointed with (they thought it should have been a shorter order but the probation officer who wrote the pre sentencing report was very biased and exaggerated all his risks after attaching someone else's criminal record to him, and the judge refused to adjourn). However we were pleased overall, as we feared custodial.
He didn't have any moving images which I appreciate is an aggravating factor in your case. He had stopped offending 4 years prior which was seen as mitigating.
The prisons are overflowing - if your person did get custodial it's more likely to be suspended
We took a prison bag to court just in case, said our goodbyes and made sure he had all essentials and a list of phone numbers and addresses etc
Do you have confidence in your solicitor?
He didn't have any moving images which I appreciate is an aggravating factor in your case. He had stopped offending 4 years prior which was seen as mitigating.
The prisons are overflowing - if your person did get custodial it's more likely to be suspended
We took a prison bag to court just in case, said our goodbyes and made sure he had all essentials and a list of phone numbers and addresses etc
Do you have confidence in your solicitor?
My person had 12 cat A-C and got 2 years suspended and 10 years SOR/SHPO. He didn't qualify for the Horizon programme. We also had the pleasure of media exposure which has been hard.
You've done the right thing coming here as there will be plenty of people who can offer advice, as has already been said, each case is treated differently depending on police force. Agree that you need to have total confidence in your solicitor. There are a couple of really good ones that deal with these specific case's.
Feel free to ask any other questions x
You've done the right thing coming here as there will be plenty of people who can offer advice, as has already been said, each case is treated differently depending on police force. Agree that you need to have total confidence in your solicitor. There are a couple of really good ones that deal with these specific case's.
Feel free to ask any other questions x
No one can say for certain what will happen. But bear in mind that only 27% of images offences result in a custodial and that was before the recent prison overcrowding, so there is far more chance of it resulting in a community order or a suspended sentence.
Thanks for your helpful responses.
I suppose my biggest fears are around custodial and as has been mentioned - the media. We've kept this matter private at the moment and I pray it stays that way.
I just hate feeling like I'm living in this horrible limbo waiting for an outcome, I'd love to book our wedding as I do want to remain in our relationship but it's hard to see the future with this hanging over our heads.
It is helpful to hear that despite my catastrophic thinking we may not end up with a worst case scenario, gives a little bit of hope in an otherwise unbearable situation.
re solicitor this is another factor making me extremely nervous. As I live with my OH I am considered a witness and therefore have had no dealings with the solicitor - I'm under the impression that isn't allowed? My OH isn't confident whatsoever in his own decision makings and I'm worried we have gone with a solicitor that maybe won't do the best job but I have no way of knowing or controlling that. Aware that I instantly used the word controlling which is probably reflective of the current circumstances and clutching at anything that feels remotely within my control.
Again, thanks for all the support. I know the decision stay won't be for everyone but at the moment it feels right for me.
I suppose my biggest fears are around custodial and as has been mentioned - the media. We've kept this matter private at the moment and I pray it stays that way.
I just hate feeling like I'm living in this horrible limbo waiting for an outcome, I'd love to book our wedding as I do want to remain in our relationship but it's hard to see the future with this hanging over our heads.
It is helpful to hear that despite my catastrophic thinking we may not end up with a worst case scenario, gives a little bit of hope in an otherwise unbearable situation.
re solicitor this is another factor making me extremely nervous. As I live with my OH I am considered a witness and therefore have had no dealings with the solicitor - I'm under the impression that isn't allowed? My OH isn't confident whatsoever in his own decision makings and I'm worried we have gone with a solicitor that maybe won't do the best job but I have no way of knowing or controlling that. Aware that I instantly used the word controlling which is probably reflective of the current circumstances and clutching at anything that feels remotely within my control.
Again, thanks for all the support. I know the decision stay won't be for everyone but at the moment it feels right for me.
My person had around 60 images cat A.
His sentence was 12 months on the register, 12 months supervision and 300h of unpaid work.
Guidance for cat A is in fact custodial, however many other things play a part in sentencing. Positive social worker's report, recognising the damage and reaching out for help without being prompted, genuine remorse, no previous criminal record etc.
Hope for the best outcome for you and your family! X
His sentence was 12 months on the register, 12 months supervision and 300h of unpaid work.
Guidance for cat A is in fact custodial, however many other things play a part in sentencing. Positive social worker's report, recognising the damage and reaching out for help without being prompted, genuine remorse, no previous criminal record etc.
Hope for the best outcome for you and your family! X
Hi,
What are you a witness to? There are many on here who live/lived with their partner and have been able to liaise with solicitors but your partner will need to advise them that he gives permission for you to have full disclosure.
Have you been advised by police that you may be called to testify as a witness? It seems odd unless they were unable to establish who had access to the devices the images were on and then I suppose if he pleads not guilty they may want to know that it wasn't any other members of the household xxx
What are you a witness to? There are many on here who live/lived with their partner and have been able to liaise with solicitors but your partner will need to advise them that he gives permission for you to have full disclosure.
Have you been advised by police that you may be called to testify as a witness? It seems odd unless they were unable to establish who had access to the devices the images were on and then I suppose if he pleads not guilty they may want to know that it wasn't any other members of the household xxx