Man caught with child abuse images given last chance
A 23-year-old man who downloaded child abuse/exploitation images has been sentenced to a three-year community order.
Jason Elliott Eales admitted 10 counts of making indecent pictures, involving 326 images and movies, between April 2008 and August 2009.
Esther Harrison, prosecuting, said that the police stopped Eales in his car and became suspicious after finding a computer tower in the vehicle.
It was inspected and found to contain illegal images of underage children.
Miss Harrison said: “In interview he denied any knowledge of the material.
“He gave three addresses where he’d previously lived and named people who had access to his computer. These people were interviewed and it was clear they hadn’t accessed it. It was a red herring.”
At Leicester Crown Court, Judge Michael Pert QC was shown a sample of the images, prior to passing sentence.
Eales was given a community order, with three years supervision and a requirement to undergo a three-year sex offender rehabilitation course.
Judge Pert said: “I think you’re in need of assistance.
“The sort of images I’ve been shown are very unusual and disturbing for most people.
“It’s worrying a young man like you should be interested in such images.
“My choices are limited. I could send you to prison for a few months with no prospect of doing anything good in terms addressing your problems.
“Or I can pass a community order because I know you will get the programme that you need. But, if you re-offend, prison it will be.”
He ordered the destruction of Eales’s computer equipment.
The charges related to 125 images, including a film, at level one. Level one is the lowest level of seriousness and five the highest. There were 59 images, of which 28 were films, at level two; 19 images, of which seven were films, at level three; 119 images, including 41 films; at level four; and in the most serious category, at level five, there were four images, including three films. The images related to children mainly under 13, with two aged under five.
Eales, of Clarendon Road, Hinckley, was placed on a five-year sex offender prevention order.
It restricts his computer use and enables his computing devices to be monitored, and also restricts unsupervised contact with children.
He will have to enlist on a sex offender register for five years.
James Varley, mitigating, said Eales suffered from learning difficulties, was bullied at school and had problems making friends.
Mr Varley said: “He stopped (viewing the material) a few weeks before his arrest.
“He had his computer in the car, along with other goods, because he was moving address.
“He’s a young man who’s made a dreadful mistake and he bears the shame today in court in front of his mother.”
