Richard Morris, a 59-year-old man from Bournemouth, has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for possessing over 1,500 indecent images of children.

Morris appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, November 29, 2024, where he admitted three counts of possessing indecent images of children. He was also given an extended licence period of 18 months.

The investigation began on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, when an offender manager and his colleague visited Morris's home. Morris, who was a registered sex offender and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, initially produced a different phone than the one he had been seen using. When challenged, he showed officers another device that contained suspected indecent images.

Morris was arrested, and several electronic devices were seized. Following a subsequent visit on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, officers discovered more suspected indecent images on a mobile phone. A total of over 1,500 indecent images of children were uncovered, categorized as 282 Category A (most serious), 446 Category B, and 811 Category C.

Detective constable Phillip Riggs of the Paedophile Online Investigation Team stated: "Richard Morris is a persistent offender who continued to illegally access indecent images despite being a registered sex offender and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. This demonstrates a clear lack of remorse for his previous offending or the sanctions imposed on him by the courts."