Matthew Whitehouse, then aged 30, of Glendon Road, Erdington, Birmingham, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday, 11 May 2021, after admitting to attempting to groom a 14-year-old child and possessing more than 100 indecent images of children.
The prosecution arose following an investigation by West Midlands Police, who received intelligence identifying that a Kik messaging account linked to the defendant’s residential address was actively distributing child abuse material.
On 28 August 2019, officers executed an entry warrant at the Glendon Road property.
During his initial arrest, Whitehouse denied having any sexual attraction toward children, claiming he believed he was communicating exclusively with adult users, though he conceded having engaged in low-level distribution of images.
Detectives seized an iPod Touch and a Samsung tablet computer from the address.
Subsequent digital forensic analysis recovered 108 indecent still and moving images of children across the hardware, consisting of:
- 33 Category A images (the most severe level under UK law)
- 34 Category B images
- 41 Category C images
Prosecutor Richard McConaghy informed the court that the Category A material included depictions of a victim as young as five years of age.
Forensic extraction of Whitehouse’s Kik chat history established that he had personally transmitted six indecent images across the platform.
The analysis further uncovered conversations with a user who stated she was 14 years old.
The court heard that Whitehouse sent the child an online link to a questionnaire featuring seemingly harmless questions before sending a second link containing overt sexual themes.
Mr McConaghy explained that this mechanism was used to draw the 14-year-old girl into the interaction before escalating inquiries regarding her sexual history, asking whether she would pose for naked photographs, and sending her indecent images as the conversation peaked.
The court was told that Whitehouse expressed concern regarding the loss of his 11-year employment at a supermarket.
However, a formal assessment compiled by the Probation Service concluded that Whitehouse presented a high risk of serious harm to children.
Passing sentence, Judge Richard Bond emphasised public protection, stating: “I’ve got to protect the public from him. The probation service is effectively saying he’s dangerous.”
Whitehouse formally pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of distributing indecent images of children, and one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
Judge Bond sentenced Whitehouse to an immediate custodial term of 20 months.
The court also issued a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) placing strict conditions on his digital device usage and contact with children, alongside ordering him to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register for a period of 10 years.
Release Calculation: Under UK sentencing legislation governing standard determinate custodial sentences under seven years, Whitehouse was entitled to automatic statutory release on licence at the halfway mark. He was required to serve one-half (10 months) of his 20-month sentence in prison custody before release on licence to complete the remaining 10 months under the statutory supervision of the Probation Service in the community.
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