Convicted Pudsey paedophile tried to avoid detection by downloading cartoon abuse images
A paedophile with a fetish for young boys attempted to avoid detection by downloading vile animations of children being abused.
James Pearson was jailed in 2022 for hoarding thousands of sick abuse images, but continued to search out the illegal material, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Software was even installed on his devices to help monitor his internet use. On March 3 this year, it was detected that Pearson had been searching out illegal material.
The police found 28 prohibited cartoon images of children and babies involved in sexual activity with adult males. He was arrested and they also found USB sticks and hard drives that he had not declared under the terms of the sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) he was given as part of his last sentence.
Pearson, of Northwood Court, Pudsey, gave no comments during his police interview. He was arrested again on April 29 of this year and 385 real abuse images were found, including 115 Category A - the most serious abuse - along with 34 Category B and 236 Category C.
Downloaded over a five-month period from September last year, they depicted boys aged between eight and 13. Again, Pearson gave no comments during interview.
The 34-year-old later admitted three counts of possessing illegal images, possession of prohibited images and breach of his SHPO, and attempted breach of his SHPO. He appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds having been recalled to serve the remainder of his last sentence.
Mitigating, Charlotte Noddings said Pearson gave early guilty pleas. She said he had sought help through the sex-offending programme, Safer Lives, but added: “He accepts it was a relapse into his old habits. He is committed to rehabilitation.”
Judge Howard Crowson told Pearson: “You are a man with a sexual interest in children, particularly it seems, young boys.”
He jailed him for 24 months and said his SHPO will continue indefinitely.