Relentless Leeds paedophile sought thousands of child-abuse images despite being arrested twice

Sick John Butler was eventually arrested for a third time and kept on remand in HMP Leeds, eventually admitting nine counts of possessing indecent images.

Leeds Crown Court heard that police were informed that vile images were being downloaded at an address at Potternewton Crescent, Chapel Allerton, in July of 2021.

Officers went to the address that was being rented by his partner and arrested Butler, seizing a laptop, memory cards, USB sticks and a Raspberry Pi computer. Analysis found nearly 3,000 abuse images, including 219 category A – the worst kind. There was also 256 category B and 2,427 category C.

They included videos and images of children as young as one. Prosecutor Ella Embleton said there was a “determined and systematic search” for images, and he had attempted to cover his tracks by using a Tor browser.

The 58-year-old denied the devices were his and said he had no sexual interest in children. Having been bailed, the officers returned to his home in August of last year after another tip-off.

They seized more devices and found another 2,331 images – 223 category A, 131 category B and 1,977 category C. He had made similar searches but again denied the offending.

Officers had to terminate his police interview early because he became aggressive. Like previously, he was bailed but officers went to his home again in May of this year and seized a laptop on which they found 21 images – three in category A, seven in B and 11 in C. He was once again “volatile and aggressive” with police.

Butler, of Sackville Street, Sheepscar, has 22 previous convictions for 77 offences, including an indecent assault on a seven-year-old in 1984 for which he was jailed for three months.

Mitigating, Giles Grant said Butler was now “engaging with shame” having finally admitted his guilty pleas. He said: “It’s a hard step and a huge step and perhaps progress for this defendant.”

Judge Ray Singh jailed him for 25 months and said: “These children were extremely young and you continued unrelentingly.”

Butler was put on the sex offender register for life and given a lifelong sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to limit his internet use.