Lowestoft man given suspended sentence for indecent images offences

A 63-year-old man from Lowestoft has been handed a suspended sentence after admitting to making and distributing more than 2,000 indecent images of children.

Kevin Johnson, of Green Drive in Lowestoft, was sentenced at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 6 August, after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing of three counts of making indecent images and three counts of distributing indecent images.

He was sentenced to two years and eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years and given a 12-day rehabilitation order to comply with. Johnson was also ordered to sign the sex offender register for life and was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years.

Johnson was arrested by officers from the Suffolk Internet Child Abuse Investigation Team after police received intelligence to suggest that he was communicating with others, describing his sexual interest in children, through online chat groups.

He was arrested at his home address on 27 June 2023 on suspicion of taking, making, possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material. A search of his property saw a number of electronic devices seized for forensic examination.

The investigation established that one laptop contained multiple virtual machines, and the following were found:

• 690  Category A images and 730 x Category A video
• 582 x Category B images and 205 x Category B videos
• 647 x Category C images and 28 x Category C videos
• 447 x Extreme pornography images and 113 x Extreme pornography movies

Detective Sergeant Mark Cotton from the Internet Child Abuse Investigation Team said: “Johnson’s conviction has come as a result of proactive investigation into child sexual exploitation.

“In his police interview Johnson claimed he joined the web chats to ‘catch’ people who sexually abuse their children and report them to police, however there was no evidence of this.

“Whilst this has not resulted in an immediate custodial sentence, Johnson will be monitored and will have strict conditions imposed upon him as part of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

“Suffolk Constabulary remains committed to protecting children from harm, and we will pursue those who exploit them and ensure they are brought before the courts.”