COUNTY DURHAM SEX OFFENDER JAILED FOR POSSESSION OF INDECENT IMAGES
A man being monitored while on an interim sexual risk order admitted asking for indecent images of children from fellow chat room users.Gary Bishop, 65, was seen by a police officer making surveillance checks in August and October 2022, as he was subject of the interim order, which was put in place due to his, “suspicious behaviour”.
Durham Crown Court heard that on neither of those visits was his phone examined, but on a further monitoring visit, on January 13, last year, his phone was seized to be checked.
Celine Kart, prosecuting, said, before the device was removed from him, Bishop was asked if it may be found to contain anything suspicious and he replied that there may have been an indecent image of a child sent by an unknown third party, which he had deleted.
Miss Kart stated that on examination it was found that Bishop discussed contact with an underage girl in chat room conversations and obtained indecent images.
Officers visited Bishop’s home, cautioned and arrested him, though he gave no answers.
The court heard that the illegal images involved children aged six, eight and between 10 and 13, and Bishop possessed these images between July and December 2022 while being monitored, trying to conceal them.
The chat history revealed he requested the images from other users.
Bishop, who initially denied charges, admitted to making indecent images of a child involving ten photos of Category C severity when facing trial this January.
The judge noted his offending occurred despite being under a sexual risk order, driven by ‘concerning’ sexual chat.
She sentenced him to a suspended three-month prison sentence, with requirements for rehabilitation and community service, and imposed notification and restriction orders for seven years.
