Roy Matthews

Roy Matthews, a 61-year-old man from Pensilva, Liskeard in Cornwall, narrowly avoided immediate imprisonment after admitting to possessing and distributing indecent images of children. The case came to light following an alert from the National Crime Agency in 2024, which traced his IP address to suspicious online activity. Police from Devon and Cornwall Police raided his property in February 2024, seizing devices that contained a staggering 1,706 indecent images, including 27 moving images, spanning categories A, B, and C. Among these, some images were personally captured by Matthews of young girls in supermarkets and shops, organised in a filing system on his computer categorised by the children's ages and featuring lewd names. Additionally, 32 printed images were discovered in his home.

Matthews appeared at Truro Crown Court on 9 April 2026, having previously pleaded guilty at Bodmin Magistrates' Court to one count of distributing indecent images of children, six counts of making indecent images of children, and two counts of possessing prohibited images of children. The offences occurred between 2008 and 2024, highlighting a long-term pattern of behaviour. His Honour Judge Simon Carr described the case as 'particularly worrying' due to the volume of images, the young ages of the children involved, and the extended timeframe, stating: 'It shows an entrenched sexual interest in children which has been with you for life and will be with you until the day you die.' The judge further noted: 'You will present a risk to children for as long as you are alive.'

In mitigation, defence barrister Jason Beal highlighted Matthews' early guilty pleas, lack of prior convictions, and poor physical health, which had prevented him from working since 1995. Beal argued that a combination of ill health, loneliness, and isolation led to his initial use of online pornography, which escalated over time. The judge acknowledged these factors, along with Matthews' age and potential for rehabilitation, deciding that community treatment should be attempted rather than immediate custody. Consequently, Matthews received a 15-month prison sentence suspended for two years, a rehabilitation order, and was placed on the sex offenders register.