A former primary school teacher from Wirral has been imprisoned for his obsession with indecent images of young children, marking a repeat offence following a prior conviction in 2008. George Williams, also known as Glyndwr Willis and now aged 72, admitted to three offences of making indecent images and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) at Liverpool Crown Court.
The court heard that Williams had been convicted of child pornography image offences in 2008, receiving a three-year community order after serving time on remand. Despite this, he failed to learn from his past, resuming his illegal activities in 2011. Police investigations uncovered that Williams had downloaded 60,312 indecent images of children across all three categories of seriousness, in addition to over 13,000 computer-generated prohibited indecent images. His computer search terms included disturbing phrases like 'cute little school girls', highlighting the depravity of his interests. Williams confessed to being sexually attracted to girls aged between nine and 11, describing his collection as an 'obsession' organised in a 'library' on USB sticks.
Following his 2008 conviction, an SHPO was imposed, banning him from accessing electronic equipment without police permission; it expired in December 2016. However, Williams had set up an email account in March 2016 and acquired devices covertly. On 29 April 2021, Merseyside Police forced entry into his home on Winstanley Road, New Ferry, after he refused to open the door, claiming illness. The search revealed 18 devices, including a laptop hidden under his sofa, mobile phones, and USB sticks containing the illicit material. In May 2022, further searches uncovered additional mobile phones and USB sticks with more images. During interviews, Williams admitted to buying the laptop in March 2016, downloading images, and continuing to use devices even under investigation.
Judge Anil Murray, addressing Williams, acknowledged his openness about his attractions but criticised his failure to grasp the seriousness of his actions and the harm caused to children. 'You clearly did not appreciate the seriousness of your actions or the harm being caused,' the judge stated. Williams received a sentence of 20 months' imprisonment. Additionally, a new ten-year SHPO was imposed, and he must sign the Sex Offenders Register for the same period. Defence counsel Steven McNally described the behaviour as an 'addiction' and obsession, noting Williams' recognition of his problems and need for support, while accepting a custodial sentence was inevitable.
Detective Constable Rory Quigley, the officer in charge from Merseyside Police's Online Child Abuse Investigations team, welcomed the outcome, stating: 'We welcome that Williams is now behind bars and can no longer cause harm to children. Williams made thousands of vile images and we hope that he will now reflect on the consequences of his utterly depraved actions while serving his jail time.' The case underscores Merseyside Police's commitment to combating online child exploitation in collaboration with UK forces and international agencies.