A 21-year-old man from Chippenham, Ashraful Islam, has received a suspended custodial sentence following his conviction for possession of indecent images of children and voyeurism offences. During a court hearing on Friday, 10 September, Islam admitted to the charges involving hundreds of child abuse images, including nearly 350 classified as category A, the most serious category depicting severe abuse.
Islam’s arrest occurred in March 2026 during an investigation unrelated to the images. Upon seizing his mobile phone, authorities discovered a substantial collection of indecent material, not only including the most serious imagery but also photographs of schoolgirls taken covertly, an offence commonly referred to as ‘upskirting.’
During the arrest, police footage captured Islam asking if he could bring his university work to the station, stating, “I really need to put my uni work in, otherwise I fail.”
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Detective Constable Will Saunders of Wiltshire Police emphasised the gravity of the offences: “Islam was found in possession of hundreds of images of child abuse. Each image reflects a real victim of serious, life-altering harm, and those who view, possess, or share such material perpetuate that abuse.”
Detective Saunders also praised the efforts of the investigative team, especially the digital forensics unit, for their pivotal role in revealing the full extent of Islam’s offending.
As part of his sentence, Islam was handed a 26-month custodial term suspended for three years and must abide by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 10 years. Additionally, he is required to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay a surcharge of £228.