MAN JAILED FOR KEEPING CHILD ABUSE IMAGES
A man previously working in a shop, who was serving a suspended sentence for sharing indecent images, admitted in court that he could not stop himself from viewing additional child abuse pictures.The court heard that Harry Woods, aged 20 from Finer Close in Clacton, was ordered to meet certain conditions following a January ruling that indicated he could be rehabilitated.
Despite this, Woods returned to court on Monday after authorities discovered he had accessed more indecent images of children midway through his two-year suspended sentence.
Prosecutor Mark Halsey explained that Woods was detained last month after police were notified by monitoring software about images stored on his phone.
During interrogation, Woods confessed that he was unable to resist scrolling through these images online, leading to pleas of guilty to a breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and possessing indecent images.
Oliver Kelham, mitigating, pointed out that Woods had already completed all 250 hours of unpaid work and ten of the 30 rehabilitation days imposed.
Kelham added, “He is somebody who, it appears to me, has had a somewhat sheltered upbringing – he had no health issues or other issues in his childhood.
“He worked at B&M in Clacton.
He enjoyed that work, he liked helping people, but rumours surfaced of his offences and he offered to resign.
“He knew his equipment was being monitored and he knew that by looking at the images, the police would come and knock at his door.
“It was a cry for help – he was on a collision course and felt he could not stop himself.” Judge Jamie Sawyer sentenced Woods to serve 1 year and 8 months.
He commented that the efforts made unpaid work and rehab days had not produced tangible results.
He said: “Within a short period of time, you are back viewing these indecent images.
“The Probation Service points out that because of this new offence, you are effectively paying lip service to this order and engaging with it only on a superficial level.” He continued: “You must recognise that when you shut your laptop or device down, those images cease to exist for you – but the children in those images don’t get any closure.
“In acting as you have done, you are encouraging the trade in that material.
"It is for that reason this sentence must be one of immediate imprisonment.”
