Judge rules paedophile Helen Furnell (49) from Totton can retrieve ‘sentimental’ photos of late father from seized mobile phone

Pictures of a deceased family member can be retrieved from a paedophile’s mobile phone before it is destroyed, a judge has ruled.

Judge Nicholas Rowland made the unusual ruling at the sentencing of Helen Furnell (49) of Parkside in Totton, who pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

Southampton Crown Court heard the defendant was in possession of more than 90 images, of which 48 were category A – the most severe.

Prosecutor Emily Lanham said three devices were seized from Furnell’s home when police searched the property in August 2021.

A Samsung mobile phone contained a further 20 category B images and 24 category C.

The youngest child in the images was around three to four years old, the court heard.

Furnell was of previous good character, Ms Lanham explained, and had pleaded guilty on the day of trial in June.

She asked for a sexual harm prevention order to be imposed – aimed at preventing reoffending – and for the device to be destroyed.

Defending, Simon Walters said while he had no objection to the order, the mobile phone was the only device Furnell had with images of her deceased father.

He said: “We are asking if the police are prepared to identify the relevant images and provide the defendant with copies of them so they aren’t lost.

“It is a request which relies on goodwill.”

Mr Walters said Furnell, who he described as “inexperienced with technology”, had been sent the indecent images by an unnamed person on the Kik messaging app.

They were stored in an inaccessible folder on her mobile, he added, but there was no evidence she had searched for the images.

Sentencing her to an 18-month community order, Judge Rowland said: “It is because of people like you in the dock that there is a market across the world for these images.

“It is a dreadful position that abused children are in and they are in it because of people who look at these images.”

He added: “Take advantage of this opportunity otherwise you will be back here and might not be so lucky next time.”

Turning to the images of her late father, he added: “It could be said that it is disproportionate that images of great sentimental value are lost.”

He gave a 28-day period for them to be recovered.

Furnell was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders’ register; both will run for five years.