May 2014

Paedophile’s 20,582 child abuse images

A MAN “obsessed” with indecent images of children has been jailed after police recovered more than 20,000 photos on his laptop computer.

Elwyn John Durant, 60, of Beaufort Road, Llandrindod Wells, admitted possessing indecent images of children when he appeared at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.

John Lloyd, prosecuting, said 20,582 photos, including movies, were recovered during a search of his home on May 9 last year.

Mr Lloyd said there were a substantial number of photos at levels four and five, with five being the most serious.

There were 1,249 at level four and 119 at level five.

The court heard that Durant had used a file recovery programme and had accessed images on old USB sticks that he said had been returned to him by police.

“They were old images. He did not acquire new ones,” said John Ryan, defending.

“Whilst there were clearly searches conducted there was no downloading onto the computer.”

The court was told Durant had a history of similar offending and had been jailed in the past, including a three-year jail sentence in 2006 in London and a six-year extended sentence imposed at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.

He was jailed by Judge Neil Bidder QC for 32 months.

“You perpetuated and recovered images from existing media and had them in your possession,” said Judge Bidder.

“The pre-sentence report makes depressing reading.

“Your inability to admit the sexual motivation behind the downloading of these images makes it difficult to work with you to rid you of your obsession with images of children.”

Durant already has to sign as a sex offender for life and is the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order until further order.

He will also have to pay a £120 victim surcharge.