In 2018, the Offender Database reported that Alexander Inch, then 29, of Mylor Bridge, near Falmouth, Cornwall, was sentenced for the possession of child abuse material. On Friday, 19 January 2018, Inch appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentencing after admitting to three counts of making indecent images of children.
The investigation established that Devon & Cornwall Police executed a search of Inch’s home in April 2017, seizing two laptops and a USB stick. The prosecution reported that these devices contained 116 indecent images and movies. Inch voluntarily attended Falmouth Police Station, where he “reprehensibly” confessed to having accessed the material for 20 years, stating he felt compelled to view the images since the age of 10. The collection included 30 Class A images, the most “vicious” category, along with 38 in Class B and 48 in Class C.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
Judge Robert Linford emphasised that the images Inch viewed depicted real children going through “hell,” being “viciously” raped and penetrated. The court reported that the defendant used peer-to-peer software to access the material, a method that “vilely” perpetuates the cycle of abuse. Although Inch represented himself in court and claimed to feel “remorse,” the judge emphasised that it is the demand from individuals like him that fuels the “reprehensible” sexual exploitation of children globally.
The judge emphasised that Inch narrowly avoided immediate custody due to his previous good character, his admissions to the police, and his stated desire to “beat the demons” in his life. However, the prosecution emphasised that the defendant’s long-term behaviour—spanning two decades—represented a “serious” and ingrained pattern of “vile” conduct. For his crimes in Cornwall, the court determined that Inch would be given one chance to engage with specialist treatment to prevent any further “vicious” offending.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Alexander Inch was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: A 12-month sentence, suspended for two years.
- Treatment: Mandatory completion of the Horizon sex offender treatment programme.
- Rehabilitation: A 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated (typically for seven years for this sentence length).
- Convictions: Admitted three counts of making indecent images of children.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Inch is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Devon & Cornwall Police and the Probation Service. Due to the “vile” nature of the Class A material and his “vicious” 20-year history of accessing abuse images, his management is under the highest level of scrutiny by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Inch must comply with mandatory notification requirements regarding his residence in Mylor Bridge, Falmouth, Cornwall. Authorities state that his “reprehensible” history and the “vicious” nature of his digital interests justify the strict conditions of his suspended sentence and the Horizon programme. Any “vile” breach of his registration conditions or his rehabilitation requirements will result in his immediate arrest and return to Truro Crown Court to serve his prison term.
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