COUNTY DURHAM PENSIONER DOWNLOADED 1,500 CHILD ABUSE IMAGES
A perverted pensioner downloaded more than 1,500 indecent images of children being sexually abused.Derek Bannon had downloaded the vile images between September 2023 and August 2024 when he was arrested by police, and a search of his computer revealed the extent of his depraved collection.
The 82-year-old told the probation service that he had looked at the images out of curiosity and gained no sexual pleasure from them, Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard.
Sara Kemp, prosecuting, said the images included young children showing 'discernible pain and distress' and some video references related to incestuous abuse.
Bannon, of Sycamore Park, Brandon, County Durham, pleaded guilty to making 861 Category A indecent images; 478 Category B indecent images; and 367 Category C indecent images.
Warren Ridley, mitigating, urged the judge to follow the recommendations of the pre-sentence report compiled by the Probation Service.
He added: “To mark the seriousness of these offences, it will need to be marked with a suspended sentence order.” District judge Stephen Hood sentenced the pensioner to 12 months in custody suspended for 18 months due to the serious nature of the images downloaded onto his computer.
He said: “Your devices were taken away by the police and were examined, on them were found a huge number of moving and still images of children being abused.
I accept that you didn’t take these images, you downloaded them, and by doing so, you create a market for this sort of behaviour, you contribute directly to the sexual abuse of children.
This was a huge number of photographs you downloaded, you deleted those images, but then put them back on to your computer.
These are not the actions of somebody who is horrified by what they saw.”
