BRIDGWATER MAN JAILED FOR POSSESSION OF MORE THAN 40,000 INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN
A MAN from Bridgwater has been sent to prison for 10 months after police found a 'wealth of pornographic images relating to children' on his electronic devices.Matthew O'Brien, of Parkway, appeared at Taunton Crown Court on September 11.
He was charged with three offences relating to indecent images; possession of a prohibited image of a child and a possession of an extreme pornographic image portraying sexual activity with an animal.
The court heard that the 36-year-old's home was searched in April 2022, where police found a computer, USB stick and asked the defendant to hand over his mobile phone.
Gregory Gordon, prosecuting, said: "When the devices were analysed by the police, they found a wealth of pornographic images relating to children." "The defendant was arrested in January 2023." Mr Gordon explained that the police found 1,832 Category A images; 2,217 Category B images and 37,519 Category C images.
He told the court there were also animated images and one pornographic image that included a dog.
The court heard the offences took place between August 2021 and February 2022.
In defence, Mr Mason said: "The defendant is entirely unable to confront whatever it was that motivated him to commit these offences.
He is somebody who is just burying his head in the sand.
"The Category A and Category B material only make up 10 per cent if all the images, his offending conduct is overwhelmingly Category C behaviour.
"Until these offences, the defendant had not committed any others.
And there have been no further offences since his arrest." Sentencing, His Honour Judge P Cook, said: "Every time an image is looked at, that child is revictimized." He said he took into consideration that O'Brien is a 'hardworking man' who has not committed any further offences.
Judge Cook sentenced O'Brien to 10 months imprisonment for each offence to run concurrently (at the same time).
He also said there will be a Sexual Harm Prevention Order in place for 10 years.
