Stephen Royle

Stephen Royle, a 70-year-old pensioner from Wigan, was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court for creating and possessing child abuse images. He had pleaded guilty to serious sexual offences involving the production of indecent material depicting child sexual assaults.

The court heard that Royle created six category A images, the most severe classification under UK law for child sexual abuse material, which involved explicit depictions of child sexual assaults. In addition, he admitted to producing 11 category B images and six category C images, which are progressively less severe but still constitute illegal content. Royle also confessed to possessing an extreme pornographic film showing intercourse with an animal, further compounding the gravity of his actions.

• Category A: 6 images of child sexual assaults
• Category B: 11 images
• Category C: 6 images
• Possession of extreme animal pornography

Following his guilty pleas, Judge [name not specified in article] imposed a 30-month community order on Royle. This sentence required him to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and participate in 20 days of rehabilitation activities aimed at addressing his offending behaviour. His Apple Mac computer and Android phone, which were used in the creation and storage of the illegal material, were ordered to be surrendered to authorities.

As part of the sentencing, Royle was required to sign onto the sex offenders' register for five years, ensuring ongoing monitoring by law enforcement to prevent reoffending. A sexual harm prevention order was also issued for the same duration, imposing restrictions on his access to children, internet usage, and other measures to protect the public. The case was handled under the jurisdiction of Greater Manchester Police, with proceedings reported by Wigan Today on 21st December 2025.

This sentencing reflects the court's commitment to addressing child sexual exploitation through non-custodial measures in appropriate cases, while prioritising public safety through registration and prevention orders. No further details on the exact dates of the offences were provided in the reporting.