Paedophile on the run from police for five months was living in a tent in Ilkley
A paedophile who fled his home after he was caught sharing sick images with other perverts went on the run for before being arrested five months later.
Victor Edwards had been questioned and bailed after he was found with thousands of abuse images on his devices, but failed to attend the police station to answer bail and an appeal to locate him was launched.
A member of the public finally alerted the police to his whereabouts, with Leeds Crown Court being told that 52-year-old Edwards had been living in the tent in the Ilkley area. He was jailed for 31 months.
Prosecutor Peter Byrne said the authorities had been alerted that an IP address on Langdale Square in Wakefield had been downloading illegal material. On May 9 last year, officers went to the property and arrested Edwards and four internet devices were seized.
They found 329 Category A images ands videos- the most serious involving children being raped. They also found 363 Category B, and 14,592 Category C images. More than 160 images had been uploaded or shared via the file-sharing app, eMule. Investigators also found that he had searched out abuse images.
He gave a no-comment interview and was then released. But having failed to return at a set date earlier this year, officers went to the property in February and found he was no longer living there. He was finally re-arrested in July.
Edwards appeared in court via video link from HMP Hull, where he was being held on remand. He admitted three counts of possessing indecent images, and three of distributing images.
Mitigating, Satpal Roth-Sharma said Edwards had a “loner personality” who did “not really engage with the real world”.
She added: “Essentially sitting behind a computer, much of his life he has been spent addicted to gaming. He has lost relationships as a result.”
She said he expressed remorse for his behaviour, wanted to change, but was aware of the consequences of his actions.
However, Judge Penelope Belcher rejected the claim by Edwards that his behaviour was not sexually motivated. In addition to his jail term, he was put on the sex offender register for life and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to curb his internet use.