PETER COLLAR FROM DEVON SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES

A 50-year-old from Devon named Peter Collar was arrested after authorities discovered that he had downloaded over 1,000 images depicting child sexual abuse from the dark web. During court proceedings, Collar reportedly told officials he felt a sense of 'relief' when police arrived at his residence. He explained that he had been feeling isolated since returning to the UK from America and admitted to 'straying into illegal behaviour.' When police confiscated his electronic devices, they found evidence including 67 images classified in the worst abuse category and more than 1,000 indecent images in total.

Collar pleaded guilty to three charges: making indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography involving animals. Although the court acknowledged his previous good character and his guilty pleas, it emphasized the seriousness of his crimes, which began in March 2022. Initially, Collar faced a potential jail sentence, but he was ultimately sentenced to a 16-month prison term that was suspended, along with 200 hours of unpaid work, as the court believed he was a good candidate for rehabilitation.

Additionally, Collar is mandated to complete 40 days of rehabilitation and to be subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for ten years. The judge noted that the starting point for sentencing would typically be 12 months but was reduced considering Collar's circumstances, resulting in the suspended sentence.