England: Judge issues WhatsApp warning after man unknowingly downloaded illegal images
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A judge issued a stark warning about the messaging app WhatsApp after granting a conditional discharge to a man who unknowingly downloaded extreme pornography.
Mark Glew, 22, was found with images and videos of sadomasochism and bestiality which were downloaded automatically to his phone after they were sent to a WhatsApp group linked to his rugby club, The Times reports.
Judge Robert Pawson accepted that Mr Glew did not realise that WhatsApp “stores the images automatically”, and added: “Had you thought you could delete them, and known they were illegal, you would have deleted them.”
Mr Glew joined the WhatsApp group to keep up with team plans and was one of 44 members.
The 10 videos and two photographs at the centre of the prosecution were discovered on his phone following his arrest in connection with an unrelated allegation which was later dropped.
Mr Glew admitted the charge of possessing extreme pornographic images.
Judge Pawson, granting the conditional discharge for one month, questioned whether the prosecution had been in the public interest and why other members of WhatsApp group were not in the dock.
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