MAN HAS BEEN JAILED FOR THREE YEARS FOR SENDING INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN TO OTHER PEOPLE
David Elliot, aged 66, was found to have shared images depicting child sexual abuse after one of the shockingly distressed recipients contacted the authorities, Newcastle Crown Court was told.Judge Gavin Doig commended the individual who reported Elliot, noting that he had been misled into believing he was communicating with a woman online.
Elliot, a resident of Byker, confessed to 12 charges, which included the distribution of indecent images of children and possession of abusive material involving victims as young as two years old.
Prosecutor David Robinson-Young explained that in June 2023, a man seeking a female partner believed Elliot was a woman when they interacted on a chat website.
The court heard that Elliot’s profile picture was of a woman, and his username was “Depraved Nun.” The two began messaging, and Elliot proposed that they meet at Newcastle’s Central Station.
During their exchanges, Elliot asked if the man was into “bestiality and snuff,” which he believed referred to videos of violent acts and murders, the court was told.
Elliot then sent the man four images that deeply disturbed him and revealed that he was actually a man in his 60s, not a woman as he had initially claimed.
Feeling betrayed and believing children could be in danger, the man quickly reported Elliot to Northumbria Police, the court heard.
Police officers visited Elliot’s home, confiscated various devices, and discovered logs discussing child rape, alongside a collection of 196 indecent images of children, fifty-five of which were categorised as the most serious type, the court was told.
The victims ranged in age from two to ten years old.
In his defense, defense solicitor Cainan Lonsdale stated that Elliot had led a solitary life, and without support from others, his interests and needs had become increasingly depraved.
Judge Doig highlighted that the man who reported Elliot should be praised for taking action, despite the possible embarrassment involved.
He acknowledged Elliot’s mental health issues and considered his admission of sexual interest in children as a significant first step in preventing further offenses.
Elliot was also mandated to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
