Aspley Guise man sentenced for making indecent images of children

Richardson-Charles ‘Ritch’ Pawsey, also known as Richard Charles Pawsey, of Ashford in Kent, was living in Aspley Guise, when he was found in possession of a number of indecent images.

At Luton Crown Court on Wednesday (21 March), he was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 150 hours’ unpaid work.

Pawsey, who had denied the charges, was convicted after Bedfordshire Police’s Internet Child Abuse Investigation Team (ICAIT) undertook a warrant at his then-address in Salford Road, Aspley Guise and found over 80 indecent images on his laptop.

In addition to the suspended prison sentence, he was ordered to pay £1,500 costs, undertake 20 days’ Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting 10 years.

Investigation Officer David Paton said: “We are pleased that Pawsey was found guilty and will be punished for his actions.

“Possessing indecent images of children is nothing short of abhorrent and as a force we do everything in our power to ensure offenders are brought to justice.

“The ICAIT team is dedicated to tackling offences of this nature, and we urge parents to discuss online safety with their children, and make sure that they feel confident enough to speak up if they see things that make them feel uncomfortable.”

Parents can visit the Parents Protect website, which is run by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, for lots of useful resources to help prevent online child sexual abuse. It also contains a list of organisations and resources focusing on keeping children safe in the digital world.

The NSPCC Share Aware website also contains advice and tips about how children can keep themselves safe online.

To report concerns around child sexual abuse call the police on 101.