A 22-year-old man from Birmingham has been ordered to join the UK’s sex offenders register after police discovered a shocking collection of indecent images during a search last July.
Charlton Sutton-Hope, residing in Lytham Croft, was found with 127 indecent photos of children, some as young as four years old, alongside 173 images depicting sexual acts involving animals. The material included category A images, the most severe level of child sexual abuse content.
Sutton-Hope appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court this week, where he admitted to three counts of making indecent images of a child, possession of extreme pornography, possession of prohibited child images, and three counts of distributing indecent images of children.
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The severity of the case means his sentencing has been escalated to Birmingham Crown Court, where he faces a prison sentence starting at three years. Sutton-Hope was placed under strict bail conditions, which prohibit him from living or working with anyone under the age of 18.
During the prosecution, Ms Pogorzelska detailed the findings of the police search conducted on July 10. The devices contained 72 category A images, five category B images, and 50 category C images of children aged between four and 16 years. Additionally, 173 extreme images depicted sexual acts involving animals in an explicit and realistic manner.
With no prior convictions, Sutton-Hope’s clean record was the only mitigating factor presented. His defense counsel requested a pre-sentence report and reiterated that sentencing should proceed in Crown Court.
Until his next court appearance on May 19, Sutton-Hope must adhere to stringent bail conditions. These include restrictions on his internet use — forbidding deletion of data, incognito mode, or use of VPNs — and a prohibition on any contact or cohabitation with minors. Any breach of these conditions could result in immediate custody.
Deputy District Judge Wallace emphasized the seriousness of the conditions and reminded Sutton-Hope of his new responsibilities on the sex offender register, including notifying police of any changes in residence or travel abroad. Failure to comply would constitute a criminal offense.
The case will return to Birmingham Crown Court for sentencing on May 19, where probation officers will also assess whether an alternative to incarceration may be appropriate, though a custodial sentence remains the likely outcome.