MOULTON OAP AVOIDS JAIL DESPITE HAVING INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN
A MOULTON pensioner has avoided jail despite having hundreds of indecent images of children.Barry Barnes, of Meadow Lane, appeared at Chester Crown Court on December 8 for sentencing after pleading guilty to a string of offences.
The 76-year-old was charged with: possessing 198 category A, B and C indecent images of children between September 4, 2011, and April 14, 2022; attempting to engage in an online sex chat with a girl under 16, discussing her lack of clothes, appearance and the suggestion of him being in bed with her between March 21 and April 13, 2022; possessing an extreme pornographic image depicting bestiality between September 4, 2011, and April 14, 2022; making 101 category C, 51 category B, and 42 category A indecent images of a child between September 4, 2011, and April 14, 2022; distributing an unknown number of indecent images of children on or before April 13, 2022; and possessing a prohibited image of a child between September 4, 2011, and April 14, 2022.
Barnes pleaded guilty to all charges at a hearing on October 31.
Judge Patrick Thompson sentenced him to a total 18 months imprisonment, but suspended the term for two years.
He also ordered Barnes to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and up to 40 days of rehabilitation activity within 12 months.
An order was also made to deprive the defendant of various devices seized as part of the police investigation into his activities.
Barnes was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order banning him from living in the same household as an under-16 child.
He must not have any unsupervised contact or communication of any kind with children under 16, other than such contact which is inadvertent or unavoidable in daily life.
The defendant is also banned from using any device capable of accessing the internet, unless he has first notified police.
Barnes is also required to register annually with police for the next 10 years.
