November 2017

Carlisle pensioner jailed over indecent images of children

A man who downloaded hundreds of indecent images of children, including some of babies, has been jailed.

Michael Smallbone, 69, was caught when police raided his home in Carlisle earlier this year.

Carlisle Crown Court heard analysis of seized computers revealed 618 illegal images, of which more than half were recovered after having been deleted.

Smallbone had earlier admitted three counts of making indecent photographs of children, and one possession charge.

The court was told 131 still photographs and 30 movies were classed in category A – the most serious.

The prosecution revealed the ages of the featured children – mostly girls – ranged “from nought to 10”.

It also emerged Smallbone, of Hartington Place, Carlisle, had been handed a prison sentence in 2003 for previous child porn crimes.

In jailing Smallbone for 16 months, Judge Peter Davies told him: “You are a determined offender and you will go to prison.”

Smallbone was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and abide by sexual harm prevention order terms, both indefinitely.