Exeter Teen Faces Charges for Child Abuse Images on Social Media
A young woman in Exeter admitted to possessing indecent child images and faces community service.
Exeter, UK, Child Abuse, Social Media, Court
Exeter: A teenage girl downloaded child abuse images online. She did this out of “morbid curiosity.” Stephanie Lewis, now 20, admitted to several charges in court.
Police arrested Lewis in February 2022 after noticing suspicious activity on Google and Instagram. They seized her phone, a USB stick, and other devices from a different location in Shepton Mallet.
In February 2023, Lewis was arrested again. Reports indicated someone uploaded child abuse images to Snapchat. Prosecutor Lyndsey Baker revealed many disturbing images were found on Lewis’ devices.
In court, Lewis was referred to as Miss Lewis, although she was listed as male. Her lawyer, Lisa McArthur, explained that the offenses happened when Lewis was still a youth and vulnerable.
Lewis has autism and ADHD. McArthur described her as a “young person with neurodiversity in a neuro-typical world.” Now, she spends less time online and mostly watches TV.
Living on Monks Road in Exeter, Lewis has completed sessions with a child protection charity. A pre-sentence report indicated she is likely to rehabilitate well.
The court couldn’t impose a Sexual Harm Prevention Order due to her age during the offenses. They noted there was “no risk going forward.” Lewis was not placed on the sex offender register, and her 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 on the sentence.