A Trowbridge dad who publicly criticised a lack of mental health support has avoided prison after he admitted collecting child abuse images.
29-year-old Kye Vallance spoke to BBC News in May 2024 about his struggles to access suitable NHS treatment, claiming professionals lacked an understanding of autism.
His comments came during a period in which he was collecting dozens of indecent images of children, which continued until May 2025.
At Salisbury Magistrates’ Court earlier this year, the prosecutor said Vallance downloaded 97 indecent images of children between September 2022 and May 2025.
These included 25 Category A images, showing the most serious child sexual abuse, alongside 19 Category B images and 53 Category C images.
He also admitted distributing a Category C indecent image of a child in July 2023.
A further offence involved possessing an extreme pornographic image depicting sexual activity between a person and a live dog in July 2024.
In the BBC report, Vallance discussed his experiences of living with autism and anxiety, claiming mental health professionals lacked an understanding of the needs of autistic patients.
He said cognitive behavioural therapy had not been particularly helpful for his anxiety and called for more suitable support.
During sentencing, magistrates identified several aggravating factors, including the ages of the children involved, the volume of images, his active involvement in a network designed for sharing material and the length of the offending.
The court determined that the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified.
However, magistrates suspended the prison sentence, citing Vallance’s previous good character and a real chance of rehabilitation.
He was handed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete up to 35 days of rehabilitation activities.
Vallance, of Eastview Road, Trowbridge, must also register as a sex offender for ten years and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting the same period.
The order places strict restrictions on his internet use, including requirements to register electronic devices with police and make them available for inspection.
He is prohibited from deleting browsing history, using private browsing modes or accessing social media without police approval.
The order also restricts his unsupervised contact with children under 16, subject to specified exceptions.
Under another condition, Vallance is prohibited from possessing, making, distributing or searching for non-indecent images and videos showing girls under 18, including pictures of girls displaying their feet or wearing leotards or swimming costumes.
Exceptions apply where parents or guardians have consented and are aware of his convictions.
His laptop and mobile phone were ordered to be forfeited and destroyed. He was also ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £187 victim surcharge.
