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Computer worker jailed for child porn
A computer company worker who downloaded more than 8,000 disturbing images of children and animals being sexually abused has been jailed.
Neil Bowers, 50, admitted to police he had accessed the images for his own sexual gratification after he was arrested and had his computers seized in October 2009.
Leeds Crown Court heard Bowers downloaded the images over a number of years before he was arrested when West Yorkshire Police received a tip- off that he had accessed a file sharing website.
Jonathan Sharpe, prosecuting, said officers discovered a total of 8,156 illegal pictures and movies.
Most of the images were of children, with around 3,000 at level four – the second most serious kind.
Mr Sharpe said 74 movies of “extreme” pornography featuring the sexual abuse of animals were also discovered.
Bowers admitted in interview that he had a sexual interest in girls aged in their early teens.
He said he was shocked when told of the total number of images he had downloaded.
Bowers, of Bradley Carr Tarrace, South Elmsall, near Pontefract, pleaded guilty to 13 charges related to making and possessing indecent images.
Jon Wilkinson, for Bowers, said his client had been seeking help over his problem since his arrest. He said Bowers had accessed and viewed the images himself and had not shared or distributed them with anyone.
Mr Wilkinson described Bowers as a loner who had only ever had one previous relationship. He added that Bowers had been a team leader in the computer industry for ten years and faced losing his job if sent to prison.
Jailing him for ten months, Judge Geoffrey Marson said: “Some of the children in these images and movies were very young indeed and that is an aggravating factor and you downloaded these over a period of time for your own sexual gratification.
“By doing so you contributed to their misery and degradation.”
The judge added that it was impossible to impose any other punishment than prison because of the amount and serious nature of the images.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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