VILE PAEDOPHILE WHO HAD 400 INDECENT CHILD IMAGES JAILED
A man involved in the distribution and possession of indecent images of children has been sentenced to prison.Dominic Tattersall, age 50, from Burnley, was found with pictures of minors as young as two years old and engaged in conversations with other adults on the messaging platform Kik, where he discussed disturbing sexual fantasies.
He mentioned he would like to watch a user have sex with his daughter and detailed his preferences and methods of abusing children.
Additionally, Tattersall possessed two cartoon images deemed illegal and stored 17 extremely graphic images showing adults engaging in sexual acts with animals.
Recorder Michelle Brown, sentencing at Burnley Crown Court, said: "The children in those pictures are real and each one of those has been abused.
"You, and others like you, contribute to their pain and suffering, and the continuation of this vile trade." Prosecutor David Lees explained that Tattersall came to police attention between July and August 2023 after being linked to private Kik conversations with other adult men.
Upon arrest, Tattersall provided details of his electronic devices along with passwords, admitting he had engaged in "some adult activities online." Officials examined his devices, uncovering numerous images stored on a tower computer in his living room and some stored on a cloud service.
Overall, 409 images were recovered, including 83 classified as Category A (the most severe), with 34 of these being videos; 63 images in Category B, with 24 videos; and 241 images in Category C, 17 of which were videos.
Evidence also indicated Tattersall searched for child pornography-related Kik groups and visited sites associated with child abuse content.
He shared two Category B images with an individual on Kik and sent a Category C image to a group of 99 users.
Mitigating solicitor Shannon English stated that initial Kik conversations involved everyday topics and classic cars before the discussions turned disturbing.
She claimed Tattersall was unsure how it progressed and suggested his alcohol consumption at the time contributed to his actions.
Ms English explained that the breakdown of his relationship and feelings of loneliness during the pandemic may have played a role.
Although he lost his previous job, Tattersall obtained new employment at a warehouse but did not disclose his conviction to his employer.
Tattersall remained emotionless as he was sentenced to two years imprisonment, with sex offender registration required for 10 years.
Additionally, a 10-year sexual harm prevention order was imposed.
