This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/twoxchromosomes by /u/effefille on 2023-09-07 12:48:32.

I’m just looking for some support and advice really, would like to hear from other women who have been through something similar. I believe this is relevant to this sub because most of the time it’s men doing this crime and women being left to pick up the pieces.

A couple of years ago, my best friends boyfriend was arrested and charged with two counts of possession and one count of distribution of child sexual abuse images. Apparently the evidence was so overwhelming that his solicitor advised he just plead guilty because he would never be found not guilty at trial, so he did. He is still awaiting sentencing 2 years later.

So his story is that he belonged to a porn group on Snapchat that would send images and you would pass them on “by way of saying thanks”. Apparently he downloaded the images, passed them on without seeing what they were and then deleted the ones from his phone when he saw what they were. And therefore is completely innocent and it was all a big accident.

I should also mention that he was a serving police officer at the time, but didn’t think it necessary to report the group or images or anything.

In the UK, if you do genuinely accidentally downloaded CSA images, you are unlikely to be found guilty at trial. Most of the time if its an obvious accident the case will be dismissed.

Now as I’m sure you can tell, I don’t believe a word he said, and the fact its not going to trial means the real evidence will never come to light and all my friend knows is what her bf has told her. It all sounds super dodgy to me and I just don’t want anything to do with the guy.

She has already said she intends to stay with him, she wants kids and currently works at a school!! I’ve tried to warn her that this is going to follow them and any future children for the rest of their lives, but she doesn’t seem to care. She’s been horribly depressed about it all for the last 2 years and has spent all her savings helping to pay his legal fees. I just feel like he’s massively taken advantage of her but also want to scream at her for being so stupid and staying with this dick!!

Anyways, that’s the story and my rant over.

If this has happened to anyone else’s friend, please let me know what you did/what happened/any advice or words of wisdom you have please 🙏