Burnley paedophile was caught in the act by police officers

POLICE caught an online paedophile in the act when they raided his home in the early hours, a court heard.

Officers made several attempts to get Dean Coulson, 32, to come to the door of his Burnley home, the town’s crown court was told.

And when Coulson let them into his Tunnel Street address he was visibly flustered, said prosecutor Emma Kehoe.

When a computer device was spotted it still had a short indecent clip running of a girl, aged 10 to 12, the court was told. Coulson’s brother, and his parents, were quizzed about the computer and the defendant initially denied downloading obscene material.

Mrs Kehoe said Coulson eventually accepted he had been viewing indecent pictures online for between 18 months and two years.

Coulson pleaded guilty to making 12 indecent images and was given a 30-month community order. He must complete 240 hours community service and 25 rehabilitation activity days with the probation service. He must also sign the sex offenders register for seven years and a sexual harm prevention order will restrict his future internet usage.

Judge Sara Dodd said she believed this punishment was the best way of protecting children from him.

Marianne Alton, defending, said her client lacked maturity and had difficulties forming long-term meaningful relationships because of his depression and anxiety issues.

March 2019

Pervert was searching for child abuse images in hostel in Burnley

POLICE investigating child sexual abuse images on the internet caught a man actually committing the offence.

Blackburn magistrates heard Dean Kyle Coulson was “flustered” when officers turned up at the hostel in Tunnel Street, Burnley where he was living at the time.

And they discovered he had been viewing indecent images of children on a laptop in his room.

Coulson, 31, of Crumpsall Lane, Manchester, pleaded guilty to possessing category A, B and C images of children. He was sent on bail to Burnley Crown Court to be sentenced on May 13.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said police were investigating the uploading and sharing of indecent images of children through the internet.

They went to the Tunnel Street address and when they spoke to Coulson he was “flustered”.

“There was a laptop in his room and there were images on the screen,” said Miss Allan. “He was actually caught committing the offence.”

Catherine Fell, defending, said the offence had been committed in October 2017 and her client had not been in trouble since.

“He was living in Burnley but when people saw the report of the case in the press he received threats and had to move out of the area.”