A young woman in Exeter admitted to possessing child abuse images on social media, leading to legal action and a community order.
Exeter: A teenage girl downloaded child abuse images online. She did this out of “morbid curiosity.” The court heard her case recently.
Stephanie Lewis, now 20, admitted to several charges. These included possessing indecent photos of children. She also had a prohibited image of a child.
Police arrested Lewis in February 2022. They acted on tips about suspicious activity on Google and Instagram. They seized her phone and other devices from a location in Shepton Mallet.
In February 2023, Lewis was arrested again. This time, police found child abuse images uploaded to Snapchat. Prosecutor Lyndsey Baker reported many serious images were discovered on her devices.
In court, Lewis was referred to as Miss Lewis. Her lawyer, Lisa McArthur, explained that the offenses happened when Lewis was still a youth and vulnerable.
Lewis has autism and ADHD. Her lawyer mentioned she is a “young person with neurodiversity in a neuro-typical world.” Now, she spends less time online and mostly watches TV.
Lewis has taken steps to change her behavior. She completed sessions with a child protection charity. A report showed she is a good candidate for rehabilitation.
The court could not impose a Sexual Harm Prevention Order due to her age during the offenses. They found no ongoing risk. Her electronic devices were returned.
Magistrates gave her a 12-month community order. This includes 15 probation sessions and 100 hours of unpaid work. They considered her lack of previous offenses and her age when deciding the sentence.
