A woman downloaded hundreds of child abuse images to further harass a paedophile hunter. Credit: STATE SIX NEWS LIMITED
A woman discovered with over 550 indecent images of children has received a suspended prison sentence and has been ordered to pay only £186 to the victims.
Samantha Franklin received a light sentence after pleading guilty to creating several hundred child abuse images that she stored on her mobile phone.
A woman downloaded hundreds of child abuse images to further harass a paedophile hunter.
Credit: STATE SIX NEWS LIMITED
Residing in Cove House Gardens, Ashton Keynes, she appeared at the Magistrates' Court on December 8, where she was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
This means that despite her horrific actions, the 34-year-old is permitted to remain in the community as long as she follows strict guidelines.
Samantha was also issued a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must register as a sex offender for the same duration.
Initially arrested on September 12, 2024, she was detained at her home as part of an investigation by the Child Internet Exploitation team.
In court, the sex offender admitted to downloading 556 indecent images of children.
During the plea hearing, her solicitor Jeremy Colenso stated that his client organized the disturbing material so she could "better harass" the paedophile hunter.
In a separate case from September of this year, Samantha received a community order following a malicious communications offense against a paedophile hunter online.
In a troubling account, she detailed how she had sexually abused multiple children and even a dog.
For her recent offense, Samantha has also been ordered to pay a £186 victim surcharge to support services for victims, in addition to £85 in costs.
Detective Constable Jason Walsh, who led the investigation, remarked: “Creating indecent images of children is a grave offense, and our team is dedicated to identifying individuals like Franklin due to their extremely reprehensible behavior.
“Franklin denied responsibility for producing the images throughout the entire process until eventually pleading guilty in court.
“During our investigation, we discovered over 200 images classified as Category A on Franklin’s phone—these images depict the most severe abuse of children.
“Each of these children in the images are victims, and the Child Exploitation Team works diligently with partner agencies to try to identify those being exploited.”
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was Samantha Franklin sentenced for?
Samantha Franklin was sentenced for downloading over 550 indecent images of children.
What are the terms of her sentence?
She received a 10-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £186.
What additional penalties did she face?
In addition to the suspended sentence, she was given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must register as a sex offender for the same period.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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