SOUTHAMPTON MAN FOUND WITH HOURS OF CHILD ABUSE VIDEO AVOIDS JAIL
A 'family man' who was found with thousands of indecent images of children, including videos over two hours long, has avoided jail.Paul David Clarke, 59, of St Francis Avenue, Southampton, appeared at Southampton Crown Court to be sentenced, having admitted to three charges of possession of indecent images of children and one count of extreme pornographic images.
Roxanna Whittaker-Lewis, prosecuting, told the court that police had been tipped off that Clarke was accessing child abuse images online.
Police attended his address on December 5, 2024, and seized five electronic devices, finding indecent images on three of them.
This includes 625 class A indecent images, including videos longer than two hours.
There were also 643 category B, 7,530 category C and 695 extreme pornographic materials depicting intercourse with animals.
He gave a no comment interview to the police, though he later entered a prepared statement.
Nicholas Barraclough, mitigating, told the court that Clarke is a family man who had been using the internet to "escape reality" during a difficult time in his life.
Mr Barraclough said: "He said during times of stress he would immerse himself in the internet, and there are rabbit holes, and he got onto sites and file sharing platforms.
"He now recognises the serious harm this causes.
"It is embarassing its shameful its criminal, and he knows that.
But he retains the support of his close family.
"He was deeply shocked about the number.
He expresses his sincere remorse." He added that Clarke has made use of courses and organisations addressing his offending.
Mr Barraclough added: "He has done the best he can to help himself.
Totally accepts what he has done.
He couldn't cannot really have done more.
He is not making excuses." Judge William Mousley KC sentenced Clarke, who has no previous convictions, to 20-months in custody, suspended for two years.
He must complete 180 hours of unpaid work and 30 days of rehabilitation activity.
He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the next ten years.
The five devices seized by police are to be forfeited and destroyed.
