A JUDGE declared war on the “disgusting” world-wide internet paedophile trade after jailing a Poole businessman for possessing thousands of pornographic pictures of children.
Perverted Colin Sharp admitted 17 specimen counts of possessing indecent photographs of children – some as young as three – on his home computer.
The 46-year-old asked Bournemouth Crown Court to take into consideration 1,220 similar offences committed between October 31, 1999 and August 20, 2002.
Prosecutor Tim Bradbury recalled how the police had raided Sharp’s home in Godmanston Close, Canford Heath, on December 9, 2002, and seized his computer equipment.
“Later that day he admitted that, in the spirit of curiosity, he had looked at a number of websites and downloaded a number of pornographic images of children,” said Mr Bradbury.
“He fully accepted downloading images and storing them onto disks. When the disks were analysed they were found to contain around 2,440 images of a pornographic nature – 1,237 were indecent images of children.”
The court heard how 60 per cent of the photographs were categorised as level four, showing sexual acts between children and adults.
Only five per cent were the least serious category one.
Defending Sharp, Paul Hester said: “His role was limited to downloading material. It was solely for his own use. The storage was not sophisticated but it was safe.
“He now understands the consequences of downloading this type of material.”
Mr Hester stressed that Sharp was a man of previous good character who had led an industrious life.
“This has been hanging over him for 16 months and he is a frightened man. He is going to have a very hard time in prison.”
Jailing Sharp for 12 months, Judge Roger Jarvis told him: “Over the world young children are being abused and their images are being put on the Internet for the gratification of people like you.
“The more people there are like you the greater number of images there will be and the more children will be sucked into this disgusting trade. These offences are so serious only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
He described the grade four images found on Sharp’s computer as “the most distressing, disgusting pictures.”
On his release from prison, Sharp, who lives alone, will have to register as a sex offender for ten years.
