Ryan Whatley, 23, avoided prison despite admitting to downloading indecent images of boys as young as five. During a police raid on his Walsall home on September 26, 2024, officers found 81 illegal images on his devices. Whatley claimed he had no sexual interest in children and said he saved the images to a Dropbox account as evidence to report to the police. However, he stated that the files were mysteriously deleted before he could contact authorities.
At Wolverhampton Crown Court, the prosecution dismissed his explanation as a “shaggy dog story,” with Judge John Butterfield KC expressing disbelief in Whatley’s version of events. The judge told him, “With the possible exception of yourself, you are not fooling anyone.” Whatley admitted three counts of making indecent images of children between July and September 2024. Despite having no previous convictions, he was given a two-year community order, including 55 days of rehabilitation activity, 120 hours of unpaid work, a five-year sexual harm prevention order, and must remain on the sex offenders register for five years. Additionally, he was ordered to pay £600 in costs.
His defense lawyer sought a community order, which the judge imposed without further mitigation, emphasizing the seriousness of Whatley’s offenses and rejecting his claims of innocence.