A Warrington man found by police to have amassed more than 50,000 disgusting indecent images of children has walked free from court.
A judge said that Simon Dean had been held in “high esteem” by those who knew him “but in my judgement you had a dark side to you.
“That dark side was the possession and making of indecent images and you watched those images no doubt over a period of time and each and every image that you watched represented an abuse of a young child.
“Where it not for people like you the market for such an industry would not be so plentiful,” said Judge David Aubrey, KC.
Dean, aged 59, who had collected the appalling images over a ten year period, told officers it had been “moment of madness”.
That moment of madness today (Mon) landed him a 16 month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and 35 days rehabilitation activities.
Judge Aubrey also ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same length of time.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that officers from the National Crime Agency called at his home in Hurst Mill Lane, Glazebury, with a search warrant on January 14 last year.
When he was told why they were there Dean said, “Ok I admit it, I’m going to have to come clean aren’t I?”
Martin Reid, prosecuting, said today that officers seized 13 electronic devices and when forensically examined a total of 51,532 images and videos of children were found. Of these 3,188 were in the most serious category and 4,240 in the next most serious group.
At an earlier hearing, which was adjourned until today to see if probation considered him suitable for the Horizon Sex Offenders treatment programme, the court heard that his internet history revealed searches going back ten years using a various search terms.
The investigation also found Microsoft Word documents entitled “The Compassionate Paedophile” and “Baby Sitting Kristen”.
Dean pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images, three offences of making indecent images and possessing 221 prohibited images.
Defence barrister, Rebecca Penfold, said that Dean, who has no previous convictions, had not re-offended since his arrest and is capable of being rehabilitated.
She said that the Probation Service have now found he was not eligible for the Horizon course as his risk score was too low.
Judge Aubrey said, “The computer said ‘no’ and ultimately I have to abide by that stated in the addendum to the pre-sentence report.
“I may have assessed the risk or potential risk in a different way bearing in mind the number of images and the length of time over which the defendant had possession of these images.”
He concluded by telling him, “I have come to the conclusion, just and only just, that the court can suspend the prison sentence.”
Miss Penfold said that Dean would benefit from the ‘Maps for Change’ course as part of his rehabilitation days.
She said he works for ESB Motor Cycles along with the owner, who is in his 80s, and an administration worker, and if he was not sent to jail his job would be kept open for him.
His partner, who used to work ing the teaching industry, is standing by him and was present in court along with other supporters, she added.
Paedophile claims “moment of madness” led to more than 50,000 indecent images of children
