Chris Johnston Successfully Achieves An Unusual Outcome for a Client Charged With Distributing Indecent Images Of Children

Following a guilty plea to distributing and making indecent images of children found on one of his devices, the client was relieved with an unexpected result in the Crown Court at St Albans. Over a series of hearings, his counsel persuaded a judge that not only would a community penalty be appropriate, but that there should be no Sexual Harm Prevention Order at all based on submissions on the fundamental test to be applied.

It was submitted that despite the nature of the offences, the relative risk of sexual harm was such that an SHPO was not necessary. Further, it was argued that the client, a professional working in an industry in which his access to social media was key, would be subjected to the restrictions of an SHPO, which would be too onerous and in conflict with performing his work. Chris Johnston was instructed by Nick Titchener of Lawtons

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