A 72-year-old man has received a suspended prison sentence after admitting to sending an indecent image of a child via the messaging app Kik, unaware that his recipient was an undercover police officer. Cyril Taylor, a resident of Lawrence Weston in Bristol, found himself in a precarious situation when law enforcement arrived at his home, only to discover him deleting the app from his phone in an attempt to evade detection.
During a recent court hearing, it was revealed that Taylor had been sentenced to nine months in prison for two offenses he acknowledged in earlier proceedings. However, the presiding judge recognized a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation,” particularly after learning that Taylor was increasing his medication and engaging in community volunteer work. As a result, the judge opted to suspend the prison term for 18 months, substituting it with community service.
Previously, in 2017, Taylor had faced convictions for possessing and distributing indecent images of children, leading to a year-long prison sentence. In early 2023, he was subjected to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which prohibited him from using any social media applications that feature direct messaging capabilities. Instead, he was restricted to basic text messaging.
Despite these restrictions, Taylor downloaded Kik under the username “Cider68” in June 2023. Within weeks, he was conversing with an undercover officer, identified by the codename “M.” During their exchanges, Taylor expressed his interest in viewing naked images of women and young girls. On June 23, he sent an image of a naked child, estimated to be around nine or ten years old, which was classified as a Category C indecent image.
The prosecution highlighted that Taylor had even discussed concerns about being “set up” during his conversations with the undercover officer. Ultimately, he pleaded guilty to breaching the SHPO by downloading Kik, a violation the court deemed more serious than the distribution of the indecent image.
In May 2023, following the issuance of the SHPO, a police officer installed an “e-safe” monitoring system on Taylor’s phone, which would alert authorities if he attempted to download any messaging applications. After receiving a notification that Taylor had used a VPN to access Kik, officers visited his home, where they found him in his garden, seemingly deleting the app. Although he initially denied having the app, further investigation confirmed its installation and usage.
In the interim between his initial apprehension in June 2023 and his sentencing in March 2026, Taylor faced additional legal troubles, including a conviction for another breach of the SHPO involving Facebook Messenger in April 2024. In total, he has accumulated two convictions for seven offenses.
During the proceedings, it was noted that Taylor had been actively volunteering at a local bowls club and had sought medical assistance to address his PTSD and depression, which he cited as efforts to avoid future offenses. His defense attorney, Alec Small, expressed appreciation for the judge’s inclination towards a suspended sentence, while also questioning the stringent terms of the SHPO that effectively limit Taylor’s internet access.
In response to the defense’s concerns, the judge remarked on the challenges posed by the SHPO, acknowledging that many modern applications include messaging functions. He emphasized the importance of understanding the gravity of Taylor’s actions, warning that continued engagement in such activities could lead to imprisonment.
Ultimately, the judge imposed a sentence of seven months for breaching the SHPO and an additional two months for distributing the indecent image, resulting in a total of nine months, suspended for 18 months. Taylor was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid community service and participate in 26 sessions of rehabilitation programming.
