Desperate mum

[Livinghell]

Hi all, I really don't know if this is the right place to ask for help, but here goes. In May 2022 we got a knock from police to seize my 17 year old sons phone fro having indecent images of children. Roll on to Jan 2023 son now 18 and they arrest him for images cat A,B and C. It is now with cps awaiting decision. My son was 16 when he downloaded these images. I'm in a living nightmare.

[KatKat10]

Surely the police should have dealt with crime as per your sons age when it happened?

[Livinghell]

They really should have but they said because of covid and the amount of these cases they deal with is the reason it takes so long. So will now be tried as an adult.

[Toughlife]

Hi desperate mum
I am sorry to read about this. I was in the same position as your son two years ago and I had to wait for 5 months before I was charged and taken to court. Waiting for the cps decision is the most tiring and difficult time. I don’t even know how I managed to do that.
I hope all goes well for you. Let me know how you are doing.

[Livinghell]

Hi thank you very much for replying. This waiting is definitely the worst. My son is feeling suicidal at the moment, so I'm trying so hard to be positive for him but it's extremely difficult.
Hope you are doing well x

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Livinghell,

Thankyou for your post. I am very sorry to hear about the difficult situation that you find yourself in.

At Family Rights Group we do not advise about criminal matters and I cannot offer specific advice about your son’s arrest and the police involvement. However Saferlives provide specialist and confidential support during investigations into online offences so I would encourage you and your son to look at their website and see what support they might be able to offer.

Unlock are an organisation which work with and advocate for people who have criminal records so your son may find it helpful to contact them in the future if necessary.

I am very sorry to hear that your son is feeling suicidal and I would encourage him to reach out for further support. Samaritans, The Calm Zone and SOSsilenceofsuicide have helplines he can call, and Shout has a text support service. I would also encourage him to seek support through his GP service or through his local Mind services.

I hope that this is of some help,

Best wishes,
Suzie