COUNTY DURHAM MAN AVOIDS PRISON AFTER DOWNLOADING INDECENT IMAGES OF BOYS
A man, who as a teenager sought out indecent images of boys from the internet, has been given a community order, “as a direct alternative to prison”.Marc Peacock, now 22, was at risk of being jailed after admitting three counts of making (downloading) indecent images of children, one each in all three categories of severity, when he appeared before magistrates last month.
The case was sent to Durham Crown Court for sentence, with a Probation Service report prepared for the hearing to look into the defendant’s background.
Police, armed with a search warrant, attended Peacock’s home in Shotton Colliery at 7.30am on April 6, 2022.
Extensive CCTV footage indicated evidence was at risk of being wiped, prompting officers to force entry.
A mobile phone was seized from his bedroom and later confirmed to have been used recently, containing 122 offending images of boys aged between 8 and 15, including 65 considered to be in the most serious bracket and 23 in video form.
Officers noted that the images involved discernible pain and distress of some victims, and they had been downloaded over a period from November 16, 2019, until the date of arrest.
The images were stored in a secure folder, which was seen as an aggravating feature.
Peacock's legal representation highlighted his age and good character, noting there had been no offences since April 2022 and that he was remorseful.
Judge Richard Bennett, acknowledging these points, decided not to impose immediate custody but ordered a two-year community order, including 100 hours of unpaid work, outpatient rehabilitation, costs, and a court surcharge.
Peacock will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and will need to register as a sex offender for five years.
The judge cautioned that failure to comply could lead to more serious consequences.
