Party Bird

Just incase anyone was at all interested on how it all pan out for my mate's Dad.......Plus I'm still in need of a little advice.......

He got arrested 6 weeks after the police took his computer, on the base of 3 indecent images found on his computer. It turned out they weren't sure if these images were of girls under 16 years of age, as apparently according to his solicitor, it was hard to say. However he was bailed for 2 weeks whilst the police did a little more investigating. He has now since been arrested for 9 counts of photos on his machine and is now going to court.

So.....the solicitor told my mates mum that it turned out that the photos were on the machine that the police originally took (not the one in the loft if anyone remembers) but that he should plead not guilty in court as according to her pics will not get him sent to jail......How that works, god knows, as he got arrested for them in the first place and if he does plead not guilty and is found guilty it'll only increase a sentance if he does get sent to prison.

My mate is still real upset at the moment, and this seems to be never ending for her and her mum's in a real state over it too. Im still really unsure of how to support her through this as she keeps asking for my advice on what will happen in court etc, and as before i dont know any of the answers!

If anyone does have any advice, or anything I can suggest to her i'd greatly appreciate it.

Party Bird

Spoon

I can only say be there for the both of them and good luck.

What an horrendous shock it must be.

OllyK

Think you are in the realms of needing to take advice from a Solicor here. It is a sublect that is likely to raise a lot of emotion and many people are like to have him down as guilty without the full facts.

I don't have the facts and so can't pass comment.

Party Bird

Audi-Boy - That aimed at me?

Spoon

Ollyk- A solicitor won't help the 2 ladies emotional state which is what I think Partygirl was asking about.

The rest of the saga has a solicitor if you read it.

Party Bird

Yeah it was advice on how i can help my friends really. They both know im there for them, but i cant seem to offer anymore advice on how to help their situation. Thats were im stuck at the moment

ProperCharlie

AB - don't think you appreciate the facts.

It seems odd to find only 3 images. if someone was into that, i would expect more than 3 images to be involved. also, if it isn't clear how old the people involved are, how can he be found guilty?

OllyK

I did - and their emotional state is because they don't know what the likely outcome is if found guilty or how likely it is he may be found guilty etc, that is why I was suggesting somebody of a legal nature to fill in the implications such as min / max that could be expected, implications of the sex offenders register, how strong the police case is, and so on.

As for emotional support, you have to play that one by ear, no hard and fast rules

Richard Askew

Read this thread before talking **** Audi-Boy

Spoon

You can't PB in all honesty can you? The law is in charge now.

You can only do what you are doing by being there for both of them when they need to talk.

Party Bird

ProperCharlie - My thoughts too. This is what ive tried to explain to my mate. 9 images since 1999 certainly doenst sound like some kind of peado to me. Either they've been downloaded or looked at accidentally, or maybe he didnt realise how old they were? Who knows? The only person is her Dad and he is protesting his innocence that he didnt know these girls were under age a) because he entered 'normal' **** site and b) because everything he entered said it was over 18's only.

So now i suppose until the court date, they'll find out more then.

Party Bird

Have I missed something? Is audi-boy having a go at me, and for what grounds? How have I fcuked someones life up? You've obviously got completely got the wrong end of the stick, either that or didnt read the post properly and COMPLETELY mis-understood it.

Havent got a clue what your on about AB, so if all your gonna do is have a go and not offer any advice, (as requested in this post!) please go away.

Audi-Boy

Opps, sorry.

Chip

Just ignore AB for he knows not what he says..

I also do think though, that ppl should refrain from passing comment at all on here until all of the facts are known about what this guy has been looking at.


Chip.

Tiggs

bearing in mind the number of ppl with **** on their PC's must be in the gazillions! it seems mad that this bloke is in trouble for a few pics where the age is even certain! Even the page 3 girls are only 16!

Party Bird

I'll probably post once he's been to court - But until then i'll keep giving my friend and her mum all the support i can as suggested, as theres not really much else i can do!

Thanks everyone

Chip

Think thats all you can do really.

Chip.

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

I remember the original thread. That is not clever and if it was me that was in your mates position I would feel very uncomfortable It's very tricky for you and all you can do is be there and listen

beemerboy

sorry for delay, was busy low-level formatting my HDD

hope it goes as well as it can. I guess if he doesn't get bird, he's gonna cop a ***load of grief from his missus!!! (i'd sooner do a stretch then have my missus giving me earache and suspicious glances!!!)

take it easy

BB

thecirsch

PB, without sounding to cynical. This could be a trick that SOME solicitors/barristers use. They get the defendent to plead 'not guilty' and hope that when it does come to trial either a professional witness (ie IT expert), Police Officer or someone else will not be able to attend Court, there-by they can argue about the trial not going ahead and get the case thrown out. If everyone does turn up, they get their client to change the plea to 'guilty' then get a lighter sentance.
The problem this creates hell for the rest of the family as it can drag the matter out. But hey, at least the legal help is getting nicely paid and getting a good nights sleep

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Unfortunately, pretty much regardless of what the outcome is, he will be monitored by social services, I just hope if he really is innocent that he hasn't got any kids and/or marriage. Because guilty or not, social services will break up the marriage through dis-information, and the father will be denied access rights to his kids and put on the offenders register. I have seen this happen, through someone who did nothing, yet they were, and still treated like a criminal, when nothing happened.

It's a situation where it is guilty until proven innocent. And proof is often so difficult. The law has massivly tightened down on child abuse. But it still ramains wide open to abuse....if your female, and young, and falsely accuse any older man of an offence, that never occured. It can be guarenteed that person will have their lives wrecked.....And Tony Blair wonders why he was pelted with purple flour

Chrisgr31

As has been said to have 9 possibly doubtful pictures doesn't sound like many for a pedo, and the very fact they are only possibly doubtful makes it sound less likely.

However without full knowledge of the facts it is impossible to say what the outcome will be, although I assume that if it came to court, the defense team may well be able to do a search for the models in the pictures to confirm their ages.

In the meantime you have to offer what support you can to your mate and her mum, just being there will be a help

boxst

Hello

Maybe Burr has some more helpful input -- but 9 pictures of "possible" underage content seems a little lightweight to take someone to court.

I would expect that anyone who uses the internet regularly and visits sites with cracked software or even clicks through some of the spam e-mail would have lots of "possible" images on their computer.

Steve.

camk

what is the country coming to FFS.