“These types of offences are truly abhorrent and revolting”

Tuesday 26 April 2022

A man has been given a suspended sentence after sharing Category A indecent images through Facebook Messenger.

Richard Silva was sentenced on 2 March after pleading guilty to eight counts of distributing indecent images and three counts of possessing indecent images.

The images found and shared ranged from Category A (the most serious) to Category C. The first eight counts came in the form of videos and were distributed by Silva between 2 September 2020 and 12 April 2021.

Silva had control of two Facebook Messenger accounts. He distributed the indecent images through group chats.

He was arrested on 12 August 2021. “You are previously of good character and have not appeared before these courts before,” said the Judge, Sir Richard Collas.

“We accept that you have shown genuine remorse for your offending and that you are quite embarrassed by it. We note that the Senior Probation officer has assessed you as posing a very low likelihood of general offending although he has assessed that any re- offending scenarios would lie in the online world.”

Pictured: Silva was sentenced in the Royal Court.

Sir Richard had to balance the effect of a custodial sentence with the mitigating circumstances of Silva’s wife’s health problems.

“The Court repeats what it has said on many occasions, that these types of offences are truly abhorrent and revolting,” said Sir Richard. “Society demands that those who commit such offences are punished and the sentencing starting points include an element of deterrence.

“We have carefully considered all the mitigation put before the Court, including the consequences of an immediate custodial sentence on your wife whose situation has been explained in some detail. In our judgment, the unusual circumstances of these offences are outweighed by the impact of a sentence on the family life of you and your wife, such that an immediate custodial sentence is disproportionate.”

Silva was sentenced to 18 months in prison from 2 March, suspended for two years.

Additionally, he was given a two-year probation order and placed under a notification requirement for five years.