A Lowestoft Paedophile, Richard Smith, has been incarcerated for nearly three years for a series of offences pertaining to the possession of indecent photographs and other associated crimes.
Richard Smith, a 30-year-old resident of High Street, Lowestoft, was sentenced to imprisonment at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday, 24 March, after admitting to the possession of indecent photographs, specifically 25 category A images and/or films of children, 68 category B images and/or films of children, and 64 category C images and/or films of children. He also admitted guilt to the creation of indecent images, possession of an extreme pornographic image, and violation of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Richard Smith was a registered sex offender serving a suspended sentence due to prior convictions for creating obscene photographs of children. In October 2022, officers received a reference regarding his use of a Snapchat account that featured an inappropriate film of a youngster uploaded online. Subsequent to additional enquiries conducted by investigators, police visited his residence on 29 November 2022 to execute a warrant. He was apprehended and subsequently indicted. He also admitted guilt to violating the Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Richard Smith received a cumulative jail term of 42 months for all the charges.
Personal Computer Nicola Flack of the Internet Child Abuse Investigation Team stated: This was a conspicuous and flagrant violation by Richard Smith of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The justice system instituted this injunction to safeguard the public from offenders such as Richard Smith. We are really pleased with this statement, which I trust will help to comfort the public of the police’s position on such matters.
Internet crimes of this nature are not victimless; each photograph illustrates the tangible trauma endured by a young child. We will exert all efforts to safeguard victims who endure these potentially transformative acts of indecency solely for the delight of others.
- Category A Images involving penetrative sexual activity, sexual activity with an animal or sadism.
- Category B Images involving non-penetrative sexual activity.
- Category C Indecent images not falling in categories A or B.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.