A man who was downloading illegal images of young children just two hours before police came calling has been sentenced by a judge.
Police acting on information provided by an external agency arrested 60-year-old John Eyre on March 6 last year.
They found a total of 417 indecent photographs of children across two seized electronic devices — a mobile phone and a computer. Carlisle Court Court heard today that 149 of these were classed in category A, the most serious.
Some were moving pictures and some featured children aged just two. Predominately, the ages of female youngsters depicted was four to six.
There had been “diligent” online searches for particular types of illegal images which indicated Eyre’s sexual interest in children, while detectives also recovered a secure folder he had used in a bid to cover his tracks.
Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson told the court fresh images were being downloaded just two hours before Eyre’s arrest and there were also suggestions the defendant had been accessing chat rooms and sites to discuss images with those of a similar mindset.
Eyre, of Clayton Avenue, Cleator Moor, initially denied wrongdoing but later admitted three charges of making indecent photographs of children during a six-month period, and one count of possessing 22 prohibited images of children.
Judge Simon Medland QC said a positive pre-sentence report had been prepared by the probation service, and concluded there was a “reasonable prospect of reform”. As a result, he suspended an eight-month jail term for two years and imposed 30 days’ rehabilitation.
“Had police not intervened when they did, it would have carried on,” Judge Medland observed of Eyre’s offending.
He told the defendant: “(Those) under 16 have a right to be treated as children and the right not to be treated as sexual objects for the gratification of men in their private time.
“Your interest,” he added, “perpetuates what is a disgusting and destructive trade.”
Eyre must sign the sex offenders’ register, and abide by the strict terms of a prevention order, for 10 years. His electronic devices must be forfeited and destroyed.
