CLACTON BUSINESSMAN HAD 23,000 INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN
A BUSINESSMAN who collected more than 23,000 indecent images of children across a 14-year period has been spared jail.Shomit Choudhury, 50, also kept extreme pornographic videos on three different devices which a judge ordered to be destroyed.
Nearly 100 of the images depicted sexual abuse of young children, Chelmsford Crown Court heard on Tuesday.
Choudhury, who is the registered director of Chelsea Enterprise Limited, was given a suspended jail term and unpaid work.
At his first appearance before magistrates in June, Choudhury, of Skelmersdale Road, Clacton, admitted three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child.
He also admitted a charge of possessing an extreme pornographic image which depicted bestiality.
After seizing a number of devices from Choudhury last year, officers found he had collected 94 Category A images and 196 Category B images and videos.
The number of Category C images numbered 22,999, along with a further 545 Category C videos.
A total of 31 extreme pornographic images and videos were found.
Choudhury was director and secretary of Chelsea Enterprise Limited until August 12 this year before the appointments were terminated.
The registered office was officially changed from Skelmersdale Road to Blythswood Road, Ilford, on the same date.
On September 4, Choudhury was reappointed the director of the company and a person with significant control.
Judge Alexander Mills sentenced Choudhury to one year and six months in prison for the offences relating to Category A images.
Concurrent sentences were passed in relation to the Category B, Category C, and extreme pornographic images.
All the sentences were suspended for two years.
Choudhury was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, 30 rehabilitation requirement days, and pay £150 prosecution costs and a £187 victim surcharge.
Choudhury was made a registered sex offender for the next ten years and will be subject to notification requirements as part of a sexual harm prevention order.
A forfeiture and destruction order was made for an ASUS computer, USB stick, and HP tablet.
