PAEDOPHILE WITH 'DEVIANT SEXUAL INTEREST IN CHILDREN' FOUND WITH SICKENING ABUSE IMAGES AND VIDEOS
An isolated paedophile with a "deviant and distorted sexual interest in children" has been jailed after he was found in possession of horrific abuse images and videos.Graham Spells, who is already on the sex offenders' register for life, was found with category A, B and C images and videos when police seized his mobile phone.
The 64-year-old had sickening images involving children aged between five and 13-years-old.
A court heard that Spells had downloaded many of the images via the Telegram app.
On Wednesday, Spells, of West Lane, Bishop Auckland, appeared at Durham Crown Court via link from HMP Holme House to be sentenced for three counts of making indecent images.
He had pleaded guilty to the offences.
The court heard that on March 9 last year, police went to Spells' home due to suspicions he had been accessing indecent images.
His mobile phone was then seized by officers and examined.
Officers discovered that Spells was in possession of indecent images and videos in categories A, B and C.
Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, said: "All had been accessed and saved in the phone gallery via a social media platform." Mr Gittins said that some of the images depicted children between the ages of five and 13-years-old.
Spells was then interviewed by police and initially claimed to have no idea why the material was on his phone.
However, he went on to admit the offences.
The court was told Spells had three previous convictions for eight offences.
In November 2023 he had been jailed for 27 months for distributing indecent images.
In November last year, he was jailed for four months for breaching his lifelong sexual harm prevention order.
Kathryn Wetherley, defending, said Spells was able to live an "offence-free lifestyle" and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
She said: "The [offending] behaviour commenced after the sudden death of his two brothers.
He was very close to them and struggled greatly with grief after their deaths." Sentencing Spells, Judge Richard Bennett said he was "socially isolated", and told him: "It is obvious you have a long-term deviant and distorted sexual interest in children." The judge branded the images "vile" and added: "Each of these children depicted is a victim of sexual abuse." Spells, who is already subject to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order, was jailed for 20 months.
He remains on the sex offenders' register.
