Christopher Hunter

Christopher Hunter, a 47-year-old father from Market Drayton, Shropshire, has narrowly avoided imprisonment following his conviction for possessing and distributing indecent images of children. This marks a repeat offence for Hunter, who previously served an eight-month prison sentence in 2006 for possessing images depicting the sexual abuse of children. Despite this prior conviction, Hunter downloaded hundreds of such images just 17 months later, storing them on a personal computer hidden in a cupboard under the stairs of his family home, which he shared with his then wife and children.

The case came to light in 2023 when police investigations linked internet activity from Hunter's home to the distribution of child sex abuse material. On 12 September 2023, officers from West Mercia Police visited the property, where Hunter's wife and children were present. Prosecutor Laura Coton outlined the events at Shrewsbury Crown Court this week, stating that Hunter was arrested on suspicion of making indecent images and promptly admitted, 'It's not on the phone, it's on the PC,' when asked to surrender his telephone.

Hunter's ex-wife directed officers to the computer in the under-stairs cupboard, which was seized for forensic examination. The device contained 75 Category A images—the most severe classification under UK law, depicting the worst forms of child sexual abuse—along with 144 Category B images and 106 Category C images. The court heard that BitTorrent software had been installed on the machine to enable file sharing, and additional programmes designed to remove and 'shred' files were also present, suggesting attempts to conceal the illicit material.

During the hearing at Shrewsbury Crown Court, the severity of Hunter's actions was emphasised, particularly given his history as a convicted sex offender and the presence of his family in the home where the images were stored. Judge [Name not specified in article] considered Hunter's previous sentence but ultimately opted not to impose further custody, imposing a suspended sentence instead. The exact details of the sentencing were not detailed in the report, but it was noted that Hunter 'narrowly avoided going back to prison.' This case underscores the ongoing challenges in monitoring and preventing reoffending among individuals with prior convictions for child sexual exploitation offences.

Source: Shropshire Star, published 3 November 2025. The article highlights the dangers of online distribution networks and the importance of vigilance in protecting children from such material.