On 20 April 2023, two district nurses visited the home of Frank Bradley in Warrington to attend a routine appointment for changing the dressing on his ulcers. During the visit, one nurse noticed Bradley's computer screen displaying photos of young girls, estimated to be aged between six and eight, described as 'very sexualised, with young girls wearing inappropriate underwear and posing in sexualised positions'. Shocked by the content, the nurse took a photograph of the screen and informed her colleague, leading them to report the matter to the police.
Officers from Cheshire Police responded promptly, visiting Bradley's home on 22 May 2023. They arrested the 66-year-old man and seized several electronic devices for forensic analysis. In his police interview, Bradley claimed he downloaded images of female models in their mid to late teens for non-sexual reasons and that any indecent images were downloaded inadvertently and immediately deleted. When questioned about potential indecent images on his devices, he responded, 'No comment, but there shouldn’t be.'
Forensic examination of Bradley's tower computer and three storage devices revealed a shocking collection of 2,365 indecent images of children being sexually abused. The majority, 2,337 images, were classified as category C, the least severe, while 25 were category B and three were category A, depicting the most severe abuse including child rape. The images, amassed over a prolonged period from January 2018 to May 2023, were stored in readily accessible folders with names such as PTHC, indicating pre-teen hardcore. Evidence showed that some files were videos that Bradley had viewed.
Bradley, of Blackburn Close in Longbarn, Warrington, was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing them. He initially pleaded not guilty and failed to attend his trial, resulting in an arrest warrant. He later admitted to all charges, plus an additional breach of bail. Appearing before Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, presided over by Judge Anil Murray, the prosecution, led by Lee Bonner, highlighted aggravating factors including the young age of the victims (10 to 14 years), their vulnerability, the high volume of material, and the extended timeframe of the offending.
In mitigation, defence counsel Anthony O'Donohoe noted Bradley's lack of previous convictions, his late guilty pleas as the best mitigation, and his extremely poor health, entering court in a wheelchair with a walking frame. The court was informed that Bradley was receiving help to address the underlying issues. Judge Murray sentenced Bradley to 10 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 30 days of rehabilitation activity requirements. Additionally, he was required to sign the sex offender register and comply with a sexual harm prevention order, both for 10 years.