A JUDGE described the case of a Widnes man who runs a school uniform shop was caught with indecent images of children on several devices as ‘unusual’ after the defendant admitted having them to confirm he was not a victim featured in them.
Rhale Akram, 42, of Alforde Street, who runs M&R Fashions, told Chester Crown Court at his sentencing on Friday, September 19, that he was a victim of sexual abuse as a child.
Judge Nicholas Woodward handed the defendant – who appeared in the dock in a suit and tie – a community order for three years and told him to attend a sex offenders programme for the same period. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and be on the sex offenders register for five years.
The defendant was sentenced for making indecent photographs, distributing an indecent image of a child and possessing extreme pornographic images.
Peter Hussey, prosecuting, told the court that Akram pleaded guilty to the offences at the first opportunity and had no previous convictions.
Mr Hussey said that the prosecution arose following a complaint made to the police last September about Akram, after he took an indecent image of a girl under the age of 18 and later sent it to another person.
The prosecution said it was taken where Akram lived, and confirmed when asked by the judge that the victim knew the photograph was being taken.
Akram runs M&R Fashions, a school uniform shop in Widnes.
Mr Hussey added that after Akram sent the victim an image of his genitalia, police were made aware of the matter and arrested the defendant, seizing a laptop, a tower computer and six hard drives.
The prosecution said that indecent images of children discovered on the devices included 60 images in the least severe category C, five in category B, and 11 category A images, which cover the most serious pictures.
Mr Hussey added that 84 images and 152 videos of extreme pornography were also discovered.
Discussing the case with the prosecution, the judge said that the defendant had been downloading the pictures not for ‘sexual gratification’ but to find out ‘if there was any information on the images which suggests him as a victim’, which Mr Hussey did not challenge.
Neville Rudston, defending, said that the case was ‘unusual’ and ‘quite a sad one really for everybody in some ways’.
He added that his client is ‘shameful’ and that the public reaction to him has been ‘very strong’.
Discussing the indecent image taken of the girl under 18, Mr Rudston added that the defendant ‘should have known better’.
The defence said that his client had ‘effectively’ taken over from running the shop from his mother due to her ‘significant ill health’, but added that it is ‘difficult to see how it can survive’ as a result of the case.
He said: “The effect on him and his family are far reaching.”
Sentencing, Judge Woodward said of the images found on the defendant’s IT equipment: “Your explanation for this is that, quite to the contrary, you had no desire to view that sort of material for your own sexual gratification, but you had been for many years when you were young a victim of sexual abuse.
“The crown do not challenge that assertion.
“It is a very unusual case when looking at both aspects.”
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/