Leeds pensioner hid vile sex abuse images of children on USB sticks under bed

A PENSIONER who distributed vile online images of children being sexually abused has been sent to prison.
Cross Flats Grove in LeedsCross Flats Grove in Leeds
Cross Flats Grove in Leeds

Ronald Smyth, 67, was told by a judge that his offending was so serious he had to go straight to prison despite it being his first criminal conviction.

Leeds Crown Court heard police executed a search warrant at Symth's home in Beeston, Leeds, in April 2017 after receiving intelligence that illegal images had been accessed from the property.

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-> The worst places in Leeds for reports of violence and sexual offencesSmyth was arrested and during interview told officers he had illegal images stored on USB sticks hidden under his matress.

They were recovered and found to contain almost 1,500 images of children being abused.

A total of 573 images were at category A - the most serious level of offending.

Investigations revealed Smyth had also distributed 28 category A images to other people in online chat rooms.

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Smyth, of Cross Flatts Grove, Beeston, guilty to three offences of distributing an indecent image of a child, three of making an indecent image of a child, possessing prohibited images and possession of extreme images.

-> Child rapist jailed for 20 years in BradfordKenton Sergeant, mitigating, said Smyth had admitted the offences at an early stage and co-operated with the police investigation.

Mr Sergeant said the offending began when Smyth "sought solace" on the internet following the breakdown of his marriage.

He said: "It started in a legitimate way and became twisted. It led to him acquiring and sharing of these images.

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Judge Tom Bayliss, QC, told Smyth: "How you got pleasure from looking at those images is something only you will know.

"Looking at them is one thing, sharing them is quite another in terms of culpability.

"This is offending that can only be met by an immediate prison sentence."