Leeds child rapist downloaded indecent images of children on neighbour's computer after prison release

A child rapist who downloaded hundreds of indecent images of children after being released from prison on licence has been sent back to jail.
Child rapist Christopher Shepherd put his neighbour under suspicion after using his computer to download indecent images of children.Child rapist Christopher Shepherd put his neighbour under suspicion after using his computer to download indecent images of children.
Child rapist Christopher Shepherd put his neighbour under suspicion after using his computer to download indecent images of children.

Christopher Shepherd placed his neighbour under suspicion after borrowing his computer and using it to commit offences.

Shepherd was locked up for 15 years in 2006 for videoing himself sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl.He committed his latest offences in 2017 and 2018 after being released from prison on licence.

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Leeds Crown Court heard Shepherd's neighbour was initially arrested on November 2017 after police received information that illegal images had been downloaded on a computer linked to his home in Kirkstall.

Child rapist Christopher Shepherd put his neighbour under suspicion after using his computer to download indecent images of children.Child rapist Christopher Shepherd put his neighbour under suspicion after using his computer to download indecent images of children.
Child rapist Christopher Shepherd put his neighbour under suspicion after using his computer to download indecent images of children.

The man denied committing and offences and told officers he had allowed Shepherd to use his internet as a favour for helping him dig his garden.

Police went to Shepherd's home and seized a laptop computer, USB cards and a memory stick.

Mehran Nassiri, prosecuting, said officers recovered a total of 356 illegal images. One of the images was at category A - the most serious level of offending.

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Investigations revealed that Shepherd, 45, had made internet search terms relating to pornographic images of children.

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He pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent images of a child.

Mr Nassiri said Shepherd's offences were aggravated by the fact that he had placed his neighbour under suspicion.

A report assessed Shepherd as posing a serious risk to children in the future.

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Martin Morrow, mitigating, said Shepherd had been recalled to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence for the sex offences.

The sentence is not due to be completed until 2021.

He said: "He is genuinely ashamed and remorseful for his behaviour."

Shepherd must serve a custodial term of four years followed by a further year on licence.

The judge told Shepherd: "You have a continuing sexual interest in pre-teen children. Particularly young females."

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A jury heard in 2006 how former television technician Shepherd videoed himself abusing a young girl.

He was caught after he failed to erase footage in which he made the 12 year-old victim dress up in her school uniform before filming the depraved scenes.

Jurors took just over one hour to find him guilty of 15 charges, including rape of a child under 13, making an indecent photograph of a child and indecent and sexual assault.

Jailing him, Judge Kerry Macgill told him: "This poor child's life has been blighted by your perverted lust. In my view you do not have a shred of decency in you."