A dangerous and prolific Widnes paedophile, Gerrard Charnley, has been incarcerated for possessing half a million obscene photos of minors.
Gerrard Charnley who is quoted as saying he is “Proud to be a Paedophile””, 52, acquired manuals on child abuse and maintained a diary chronicling his fantasies.
The judge at Liverpool Crown Court described the information as “truly shocking.”
Gerrard Charnley, a resident of Widnes, received a 14-month prison sentence on 2 January 2025.
Judge Andrew Menary, KC, the Recorder of Liverpool, stated that although he may have merely been “playing out” his fantasies in his diary, it nonetheless revealed the wicked and perverse character of his desires and motivations for obtaining this material.
You may possess obsessive-compulsive qualities and have a propensity for collecting items, especially those that are disturbing.
He informed Gerrard Charnley that the acquisition of the material was not a frivolous choice, but rather a fixation on the exploitation of children.
He admitted guilt to seven charges related to the possession and downloading of child abuse photos, possession of a paedophile manual, possession of forbidden photographs, and possession of extreme pornographic images.
Forensic experts examined the photographs following his arrest on 24 February 2024 and classified 205,452 of them, with 17,000 falling into the highest severe level of seriousness including baby rape, child torture and child murder.
However, the judge noted that an additional 232,000 photos remained uncategorised due to the overwhelming volume.
“It is reasonable to assert that your collection of images was substantial by any criteria, including those typically observed by this court in cases involving significant quantities.”
Judge Menary stated, “This court regrettably encounters numerous cases of this nature; however, your case, in comparison to others, is particularly alarming due to the nature of the material recovered and the content of the images depicted.”
He stated that Gerrard Charnley had been unemployed for several years and was in poor condition. I suppose you were leading a quite solitary life at home and became fixated on the stuff.
The judge acknowledged that the defendant had confessed to his wrongdoing and had sought assistance from the Stop It Now organisation upon his detention and on numerous subsequent occasions.
Gerrard Charnley admitted guilt to seven charges related to the possession and downloading of child abuse photos, possession of a paedophile manual, possession of forbidden photographs, and possession of severe pornographic images.
Judge Menary stated that, regardless of whether his depictions of intended actions towards children were fantastical, there existed “a real risk” if he were to have unsupervised interactions with minors.
He mandated Gerrard Charnley to register on the Sex Offenders Register for a duration of ten years and instituted a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which prohibits unsupervised contact with children for the same period.
Myles Wilson, in defence, stated that due to the enormous quantity of photos, Gerrard Charnley would have encountered difficulty in reviewing them all, but it was evident that he had examined some.
“There may not have been sufficient hours in the day to examine them all.” It evolved into an almost compulsive drive to pursue this material.
Mr. Wilson stated that the defendant had been candid with the police and probation on his attraction to youngsters. He felt a sense of relief upon his arrest, recognising that this phase of his life was concluding.
He stated that there were no contact crimes and no evidence indicating that his diary was anything beyond fiction.
He stated that Gerrard Charnley had resided in his flat for 20 years and assists with the maintenance of his elderly father, who has mobility difficulties.
He has contacted the Stop It Now organisation 27 times, and there exists no viable possibility of recovery.
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