In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that Michael Austin, then 58, of Sea Dyke Way, Marshchapel, Lincolnshire, was jailed for ten months for possessing a “significant volume” of child abuse material. On Friday, 31 August 2018, Austin appeared at Lincoln Crown Court for sentencing. The court reported that the defendant had downloaded and stored over 1,000 illegal images and movies on his home computer and hard drives over a ten-year period.
The investigation established that Austin came to the authorities’ attention after police traced an internet address used to download illegal content. Lincolnshire Police reported that during a raid on 29 March, officers seized a computer tower and three hard drives containing 125 images in Category A—the most serious classification—along with 172 in Category B and 738 in Category C. The prosecution reported that the material included “pre-teen” children and 19 counts of extreme pornography.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Austin had no previous convictions and had attempted to justify his behaviour by claiming the majority of the children depicted were around 16 years old. Lincoln Crown Court heard that since his arrest, Austin and his wife had been completely ostracised by the small village community in Marshchapel, Lincolnshire, leading to his wife losing her job. The prosecution reported that while Austin had engaged with the ‘Stop It Now Campaign’, the sheer volume of material meant his actions could not be ignored.
Judge Andrew Easteal noted that he could not suspend the jail sentence due to the number of children involved in the footage. For his actions in Marshchapel, Lincolnshire, the defendant admitted three charges of making indecent images and one charge of possessing extreme pornography. The judge noted that it was vital for offenders to understand the level of responsibility they bear for the abuse they view, as their consumption fuels the demand for child exploitation.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Michael Austin was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: Ten months in prison.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated for 10 years.
- SOPO: A five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court.
- Criminal Record: Convicted of making indecent images and possessing extreme pornography.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Austin is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Lincolnshire Police and the National Probation Service. Due to the decade-long nature of his offending in Marshchapel, Lincolnshire, his management is subject to oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Austin was required to comply with notification requirements regarding his identity and residence for 10 years. Authorities state that his five-year SOPO was designed to monitor his digital footprint and ensure he did not have unsupervised access to children or restricted technology. Any breach of his registration conditions or the terms of his prevention order in Marshchapel, Lincolnshire, would have resulted in immediate arrest and a return to Lincoln Crown Court.
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