THORNABY MAN JAILED FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD ABUSE IMAGES
A judge told Glen Dodds, a man caught with 144 images of abused children, that it was "pointless" to deny a sexual interest in children.Dodds was apprehended after uploading indecent images via the messaging app Kik in June and July 2023.
The police seized four devices at his residence in August, which contained indecent images, including more than 30 in the most severe category.
Dodds initially denied the charges, claiming his device had been hacked and asserting he had no sexual interest in children.
However, the court heard evidence showing he had saved some of the "appalling" images in his gallery, with 31 Category A images of children aged between three and 12, 26 Category B images of children aged 5 to 12, and 77 Category C images of youngsters aged between 6 and 15.
The 32-year-old from Blackbush Walk, Thornaby, had no prior convictions and was on bail for another unrelated offence under investigation at the time of his arrest.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in February.
The judge emphasized the seriousness of downloading such images, stating "Downloading images of the abuse of children is a serious matter" and pointing out some children depicted were very young.
He condemned Dodds’ denial of sexual interest, saying "you clearly do" and noted his offences contributed to the children’s suffering.
The judge, recognizing Dodds's learning disability and isolation, considered the possibility of rehabilitation.
Consequently, he was sentenced to a two-year community order with a Building Choices course, 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days, and 100 hours of unpaid work.
Additionally, a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order was enacted to prevent further offending.
