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Child Abuse

Chippenham man avoids jail despite possession of serious child abuse images

A 21-year-old man from Chippenham has received a suspended prison sentence after being found in possession of hundreds of indecent images of children, including nearly 350 categorised as the most serious.

Ashraful Islam pleaded guilty to charges of taking indecent images of children and voyeurism during his court appearance on Friday, September 10. He was sentenced to 26 months in custody, suspended for three years, and was also issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) lasting 10 years.

Islam was initially arrested in March 2026 in relation to an unrelated matter. During the investigation, his mobile phone was seized, revealing a significant number of child abuse images, with a considerable amount classified as category A-the highest severity level. Additionally, the phone contained images of ‘upskirting’ involving schoolgirls.

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In footage from Islam’s arrest, when asked by a police officer if he needed to bring anything to the station, he replied, “I really need to put my uni work in, otherwise I fail.”

Detective Constable Will Saunders of Wiltshire Police emphasised the gravity of the offence, stating, “Islam was found in possession of hundreds of images of child abuse. Each image represents a real victim who has suffered serious, life-altering abuse. Those who view, possess, or share such material contribute to that harm.”

He also expressed gratitude towards the officers involved, particularly the digital forensics unit, whose efforts were essential in revealing the extent of the offending.

Alongside his suspended sentence and SHPO, Islam must pay a £228 surcharge and complete 200 hours of unpaid work.