Leeds sex offender back in court after police found bestiality images on his phone

Liam Farnes was arrested after police officers went to his home in Leeds on February 8 last year after receiving information that illegal images had been accessed at the property.

A Samsung mobile phone was seized but 36-year-old Farnes claimed no illegal material would be found on it.

Howard Shaw, prosecuting, said more than 167,000 images were recovered from the device, 18 of which were found to be illegal.

He said: "They depicted acts of bestiality of people with dogs."

Farnes was interviewed and admitted that the phone was his.

The defendant claimed the images had been sent to him automatically on an app he had downloaded on the phone.

Farnes, of Aston Terrace, Bramley, pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornographic images.

The court heard Farnes has previous convictions dating back to 2011 for causing a child under 13 to watch a sexual act, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and possessing indecent child images.

He served a prison sentence for those offences and was placed on the sex offender register for life.

Farnes' latest offence was committed after he had completed a sex offender treatment programme.

The court heard the defendant is a media studies graduate.

Richard Walters, mitigating, said Farnes pleaded guilty to the offences at an early stage.

Mr Walters added: "The defendant knows that custody is in the forefront of the court's mind.

"There is hope for this man because he has come a significant way.

"There is some further work that can be done with him to ensure that he doesn't come before the courts again."

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar said: "He is an intelligent man. In 2011 he was convicted of a similar offence.

"It should have driven it home to him that the next time he does it, it will result in the same fate - he will go to prison."

Judge Khokhar gave Farnes a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to take part a further sex offender programme for 35 days and complete 55 rehabilitation activity requirement days.