A Wiltshire woman has admitted downloading hundreds of child abuse images ‘to better harass a paedophile hunter’, a court heard.
Samantha Franklin stashed 556 indecent photographs of youngsters on her device – with 207 images categorised as the most serious.
Police made the discovery after the 34-year-old sought out and messaged a paedophile hunter on Facebook, describing – in disturbing detail – how she had sexually abused children and a dog.
There was no evidence of Franklin having harmed a real child or animal, and she was subsequently charged and convicted of malicious communications.
On 19 September 2025, she was handed an 18-month community order with the requirement to undergo 12 sessions of mental health treatment.
She was also slapped with a restraining order, banning contact with the paedophile hunter for one year.
Further forensic examination of her seized device revealed the vile catalogue of images, and Franklin returned to Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, November 4.
At the first hearing, wearing a long pink flowery dress, she pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children across all three categories of severity.
Crown prosecutor Keith Ballinger asked for the case to be sent to the crown court due to the sheer number of images – stating that it is “outside this court’s power of sentence”.
Defence solicitor Jeremy Colenso said: “She doesn’t fit the stereotype… my first question is why? Well there’s a bit of a story to it.
“She had been carrying out research, she’s going to claim, so she could better harass the paedophile hunter.”
District Judge Joanna Dickens decided to keep the case in the magistrates’ court but warned Franklin it could still be sent to the crown court for sentencing.
“I’m going to keep here at the moment, with the caveat it may go to the crown court for sentence.
“The court could send you to prison, you need to know that.
“What I’m going to do is give you another date to come back, you need to see probation [for a pre-sentence report]. 8 December.”
After taking further instruction from Franklin, Mr Colenso added: “She ideally would like to go on holiday [on that date] but she understands this is important.”
Appearing baffled by the request, Judge Dickens responded: “Uh, yes… it’s about as important as it gets.”
Franklin added: “I just wanted a holiday, but obviously this is important.”
Judge Dickens proceeded to inform the defendant, of Cove House Gardens in Ashton Keynes, Wiltshire, that she must register as a sex offender within 72 hours.
“You will have to comply with the sex offenders register, as people know it as.
“Within three days you have to got to go to the police station to give some details about yourself… if you don’t comply with the registration requirements, you could go to prison.”
