Stephen Talbot

Stephen Talbot, a 63-year-old former chaplain with Cambridgeshire Police from Little Downham, Cambridgeshire, has had his prison sentence reduced following an appeal. Talbot, whose wife served as the rector of Little Downham near Ely, resigned from his role with the police on 1 October 2014 and was arrested on the same day.

The court heard that Talbot had accessed online pornography between 2009 and 2014, during which time he developed an interest in children aged eight to 16. He admitted to making and possessing indecent images of children. In a bid to cover his tracks, Talbot attempted to destroy a computer hard drive containing the images after becoming aware of potential scrutiny. This act constituted perverting the course of justice, for which he also pleaded guilty.

The case came to light in September 2014 when Talbot experienced problems with his internet connection. Rather than allowing the investigation to proceed undetected, Talbot confessed to the authorities, which ultimately led to the discovery of the destroyed hard drive. Prosecutor John Farmer outlined these details during the proceedings at the Criminal Court of Appeal.

Originally, in February 2015, Talbot was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment by the lower court. However, on appeal, three judges—Mr Justice Spencer, Lord Justice Lloyd Jones, and Judge Eleri Rees—ruled that the term was excessively long. They reduced the sentence to nine months but declined to suspend it, deeming a custodial sentence appropriate for the serious offences. Mr Justice Spencer noted, "We are persuaded that the circumstances of this case were so exceptional that a more modest starting point could have been taken by the judge." He further emphasised that a jail term was correct for the "serious offence" of destroying the hard drive.

Talbot's barrister, Mark McDonald, argued that the original sentence was too severe and should have been suspended, highlighting the severe personal consequences: both Talbot and his wife lost their jobs and were forced to relocate from the area. McDonald also pointed out that the police would not have uncovered the crimes or the evidence destruction without Talbot's confession. By the time of the appeal ruling, Talbot had already served most of his reduced nine-month sentence and was on the verge of release.

This case was handled by HM Courts and Tribunals Service, with related coverage including reports on Talbot's initial jailing on 27 February 2015 and his admission to child-related charges on 26 January 2015, as published by the BBC.