Andrew Baxter

A 56-year-old man from Romsey, Hampshire, has been handed a community order after admitting to possessing a large number of indecent images of children. Andrew Baxter, residing at Stapleford Close, was discovered with over 1,500 such images during an incident in Southampton on 21 November 2021.

The case came to light when authorities uncovered the material, which included 1,500 Category C images and 22 Category B images, as detailed in Southampton Magistrates' Court. Baxter appeared in court on Tuesday, 3 September, where he entered a guilty plea to the offence of making indecent images of children. The court heard evidence of the scale of the material, highlighting the seriousness of the charges.

On Wednesday, 13 November, sentencing was carried out at the same court. Presiding magistrates imposed a community order on Baxter, requiring him to comply with instructions from a responsible officer, including attending appointments and participating in required activities for up to a maximum of 25 days. Additionally, he was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work as part of the rehabilitation requirements.

Further measures to protect the public included the issuance of a five-year sexual harm prevention order, aimed at restricting Baxter's activities to prevent future offences. This order will remain in effect until November 2029. The case was handled under the jurisdiction of Hampshire Constabulary, the local police force responsible for the investigation.

While the court did not impose a custodial sentence, the community order and prevention order underscore the gravity with which the judiciary views child sexual exploitation offences. Baxter's guilty plea was noted as a mitigating factor in the sentencing decision.