August 2012

Half a million child abuse images found on pervert’s computer

HALF a million child porn pictures were found on the computer of a pervert in Gloucester after police received a tip-off from Interpol.

Stephen Walton, 37, was jailed for a year after he pleaded guilty at Gloucester Crown Court to 15 sample offences of making indecent images of children.

The court heard that Walton spent up to 20 hours a day in his room at his parents’ home using his computer for virtual reality games – but also using it for two hours a day to look at indecent pictures of children.

More than 1,100 of the pictures and films on Walton’s computer were at the highest level of depravity, said prosecutor Giles Nelson.

Mr Nelson told the court that police acting on an Interpol tip-off raided Walton’s home in Deans Way, Gloucester, on February 23.

Walton told them: “I’ve been expecting this.”

“He also admitted he had taken pictures of children in the neighbourhood playing in their back gardens about six years ago,” said Mr Nelson.

They were photographs of the children in swimwear and were not indecent, he said.

Mr Nelson said the total number of indecent images on Walton’s computers had been assessed by the police as 486,358, of which there were 1,164 level five images and 15 level five videos.

Leo Goatley, defending, said Walton had been leading an isolated, chaotic and lonely life in his parents home. He said: “He is desperately seeking help. He has a supportive family and they are standing by him.”

Recorder Ben Compton QC told Walton: “The idea of any human being sitting for up to 20 hours a day on a computer, day in and day out, and surfing for child porn for a couple of hours a day is deeply troubling.

“But I do accept you have many personal problems. However, I would be failing in my duty to the public if I were not to impose an immediate custodial sentence today.”

He said the “sheer volume” of the offences and the fact that Walton had offended again while on police bail meant there could be no other sentence.