Locations
Russett Road, Alton, Hampshire, GU34
Description
A man from Alton has been jailed for eight years for 23 offences, including possession of indecent images and attempted sexual communications with a child.
Following an investigation by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Internet Child Abuse Team, Gavin Chivers, 39, was identified as being suspected of accessing incident images of children online and was arrested on 31 March.
Chivers, of Russett Road in Alton, was interviewed and offered the explanation that he had accessed the images with the intention of trying to earn the trust of offenders online in order to identify and report them.
Chivers’ mobile phone was examined and a vast number of chats discussing the abuse of children were discovered, as well as a large number of indecent images and videos, including many involving the sexual abuse of children.
No evidence was discovered to support Chivers’ claim that he was attempting to identify offenders and he was charged with multiple offences.
Chivers pleaded guilty to the following offences:
- Three counts of make indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child
- One count of taking an indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child
- One count of possessing an extreme pornographic image/images portraying and act of intercourse with an animal
- 14 counts of distributing an indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child
- Two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child
- Two counts of publishing an obscene article
He appeared today (Tuesday 23 June) at Winchester Crown Court, where he was sentenced to eight years imprisonment.
He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register and handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, both for life.
PC Ollie Green of the Internet Child Abuse Team said:
“Having been in the department for nearly five years, this is by far the worst case I have come across.
“It is not often where I can say that the written words in the conversations were as disturbing and appalling as the images themselves.
“Chivers is without a doubt one of the most dangerous individuals I have investigated, and I am very pleased with the judge’s decision that he will receive a lengthy custodial sentence.”