Monitoring software played a crucial role in the conviction of Richard Faulkner, a 70-year-old man residing near Snodland, Kent. Faulkner was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) prohibiting him from accessing the internet without web monitoring software installed on his devices.

Despite this order, Faulkner was discovered accessing thousands of illegal images of children on August 26th, 2024. An alert triggered by the monitoring software led to his arrest and subsequent searches of his home. Authorities seized his computer and several other devices, revealing hundreds of thousands of illicit images, including over 160 classified as Category A, depicting the most severe forms of child abuse.

Initially, Faulkner denied any wrongdoing, claiming he no longer harbored sexual interest in children and had no knowledge of the illegal images on his computer. However, forensic examination of the seized devices exposed his lies.

Faulkner pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to multiple charges related to possessing indecent images of children, breaching his SHPO, and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements by not registering various bank and credit cards with the police. On February 4th, 2025, he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, including the activation of a previous suspended sentence.

Sergeant Steph Kirkin stated, "Faulkner had been subject to strict measures designed to reduce the risk of him reoffending. He attempted to manipulate the monitoring software placed on his computer to disguise his frequent searches for disturbing and harmful images, many depicting the horrific abuse of children." She emphasized the importance of SHPOs in protecting children and assured that authorities would relentlessly pursue those who violate these orders.