PAIGNTON MAN RECEIVES SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES
Patrick Hassan, aged 34, from Paignton, was found by police to have 336 indecent images of children on his phone after suspicious activity was detected on the Kik messaging app.He admitted to officers that he had collected these images for his own sexual gratification.
Hassan was arrested following the police analysis of his Samsung device and later appeared at Exeter Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and possessing 43 extreme pornographic images.
During court proceedings, Hassan claimed he had engaged in sexual conversations online about individuals under 16 and sent explicit images, although police found no evidence supporting his claims of prior bans from Kik.
The images included children as young as five.
The court was told Hassan expressed remorse and had completed a rehabilitation course, and probation services indicated willingness to work with him.
He was sentenced to a 10-month jail term suspended for two years, ordered to undertake up to 40 days of rehabilitation, and complete 200 hours of unpaid work.
He is also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order monitoring his behaviour.
The judge remarked, 'You are as much an abuser of children as those who take the images.
That is how the court deals with you.
The prisons are completely full.
If not, you would be going straight to prison.
You are a sex offender and will be on the register for the next 10 years.'
