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Child porn pervert had almost 15,000 indecent images
A judge poured scorn on a pervert who denied being sexually attracted to children, despite admitting to downloading almost 15,000 indecent images of them.
David Atha, 26, bought computer equipment and began accessing images from a website in the USA just months after being arrested and bailed for an earlier offence.
Atha was first arrested as long ago as 2006 when 3,195 indecent images of children were found on his computer.
Leeds Crown Court heard the police officer in charge of the case retired and there was a delay of three years before the investigation was resumed and another search warrant was executed at Atha’s home.
Another 11,900 images were discovered on his computer and stored on disks hidden in a false bottom of a DVD box.
After his arrest Atha tried to claim that he did not realise what he was doing was illegal and claimed to have no sexual interest in children.
But judge Geoffrey Marson said: “I do not believe for a moment that he has been completely frank with the probation service. A frequent feature of these offences is that they deny they have any sexual interest in children.
“It is incapable of belief of someone who has on their computer, thousands and thousands of images of young children in various states of undress and involved in sexual activity.”
Atha, of St Oswald Avenue, Pontefract, pleaded guilty to 22 offences of making indecent photographs of children.
Atha’s barrister said he had pleaded guilty to the offences at an early opportunity and was of previous good character. He said Atha had made no attempt to distribute the images to anyone else.
The judge gave Atha a three-year community order, during which he must attend a sex offenders’ treatment programme.
He said it was in the public interest that Atha be given the opportunity to address his problem.
He added: “Some of those children are very young and it is trite to say you have no sexual interest in children. There could be no other reason for making these images.
“You contribute to the misery that these children suffer. They are degraded in the most abhorrent manner and you are responsible in part for that.”
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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