A young woman who collected and shared images showing the sexual abuse of children has been told she should consider herself “very, very fortunate” to avoid an immediate prison sentence.
Eloise Eastwood, 21, of Lincoln Court, Church, was handed a suspended jail term at Preston Crown Court after Judge Paul Hodgkinson said the public would be “rightly outraged” and “rightly disgusted” by her offending.
The judge also criticised Eastwood for breaching notification requirements imposed after she first admitted the offences.
Eastwood pleaded guilty to indecent image offences at Blackburn Magistrates' Court on April 29. Within days, however, she travelled to Spain on a pre-booked holiday without complying with notification requirements imposed by the court.
She later returned to Blackburn Magistrates' Court on May 15 charged with two further offences arising from those breaches.
Sentencing her, Judge Hodgkinson said: “Within a matter of days you decided, ‘I'm not having any of that, I'm going to Spain with my friend’.
“[You showed] complete disregard for a protective order of a court, to protect the public, children, from the conduct you admitted a matter of days before.”
The court heard police had begun investigating after an account on X uploaded indecent images of children. The account was linked to an email address belonging to Eastwood.
Prosecutor Daniel Bramhall said officers initially identified indecent images of children, prohibited images, and an extreme pornographic image involving a black poodle dog. Intelligence led police to Eastwood's home, where she was arrested on August 5 last year.
During a search of the property, officers noted a black poodle at the address which appeared to match the dog shown in the extreme pornographic material.
Further examination of devices seized from the home uncovered 30 category A indecent images of children, 20 category B images, and 34 category C images. Officers also found 21 prohibited images and 17 extreme pornographic images.
The court heard Eastwood had distributed indecent images, including three category A images, to another user online. Extreme pornography had also been shared with a single recipient.
Police also discovered online conversations in which Eastwood and others discussed a fantasy involving having children who could be abused and photographed. However, Mr Bramhall said there was no evidence any such plans were intended to be carried out.
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Anthony Horsfall, defending, said Eastwood had experienced emotional loneliness, attachment difficulties, and isolation.
He said her offending was driven largely by a desire for online companionship and attention rather than a sexual interest in children.
Judge Hodgkinson questioned that explanation.
“On one hand you're saying you don't have this sexual interest, you simply use it as a cunning, calculated and cynical way to attract the attention you so desperately crave,” he said.
“But I only see that as part of your problem. I do find you were interested in those matters you were looking at.”
The judge said every image represented a real child victim and warned that demand for such material fuelled further abuse.
“You would have no doubt felt remote, sat alone in your bedroom,” he said.
“But every one of those images links to a victim. Those victims are having to suffer the indignity of being sexually abused for your pleasure and the pleasure of others.”
The judge imposed a three-year prison sentence suspended for two years.
Eastwood was also ordered to complete 40 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work.
A sexual harm prevention order was imposed for 10 years, while notification requirements will remain in place indefinitely.
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