Ludlow man jailed for sharing indecent images of children online

A 70-year-old man from Ludlow has been jailed for two years after admitting to sharing indecent images of children — offences committed while he was already serving a suspended sentence for similar crimes.

Robert Gates was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Friday (7 November) after pleading guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children and two counts of distributing indecent photographs of children.

The court heard Gates had previously received a two-year suspended sentence in November 2024 for similar offences. However, in August this year, police were alerted by the Metropolitan Police that a man arrested for sharing indecent images online had been in recent contact with Gates.

Officers from West Mercia Police swiftly arrested Gates at his home, seizing several electronic devices. A search revealed two category B and two category C images of children, along with evidence of online conversations about child sexual abuse.

Gates was sentenced to 12 months in custody for the new offences and a further 12 months for breaching his previous suspended sentence, to run consecutively.

PC Ellie Williams, from Shropshire’s Protecting Vulnerable People team, said: “Gates is a deeply disturbing individual with a clear interest in the sexual abuse of children. Having previously avoided prison, he has now rightly received a two-year custodial sentence. His sickening behaviour shows a shocking disregard for the harm and trauma his actions cause to young victims.”