Jan 2008

Child porn downloader escapes jail

A MAN was caught with images of child porn after police discovered he was sharing pictures and lured emails with a known paedophile.

Essex Police found 380 photos of children being sexually abused when they raided Stephen Toplis’ home in Plymouth Road, Chafford Hundred last year.

Officers had been tipped off by Merseyside Police who found emails sent to Toplis, 46, from a registered sex offender.

In an email conversation, the defendant described the illegal images they had seen as “horny”.

In another sickening message in which the pervert asked Toplis how he managed to control his sexual urges for young children, Toplis replied: “It is difficult, I would not be so nervous with stranger boys. I would love to play with them.”

At Basildon Crown Court today Judge Christopher Mitchell sentenced Toplis to a three year community order and told him he must attend the Thames Valley Sex Offenders Programme.

Judge Mitchell said: “Through these chat rooms and contact with chat rooms these images were sent to you.

“According to the sentencing guidelines these offences pass the custody threshold but I am satisfied in your case because of your plea of guilty, your good character and the very excellent references from a number of people and the report from your psycho therapist, it would be quite inappropriate to pass a custodial sentence on you.”

He also said Toplis’s comments to the registered paedophile were “worrying” but it was in the interests of the community, the defendant and children that he be given help.

Toplis was also given a Sex Offences Pevention Order. Under its conditions he is banned from viewing downloading images from children’s websites or adult porn sites, seeking to be in the presence or communicating with a registered sex offender or being alone with a child under 16.

Toplis pleaded guilty to 14 counts of downloading and one count of distributing child porn at an earlier hearing.