Shunned Wakefield paedophile blames isolation for falling back into sick habits days after conviction

Stefan Preston escaped a custodial sentence last year after confessing to police that he had been downloading child-abuse images “for years”.

He said due to the isolation it caused, he went back onto the internet to continue trawling for the illegal material days after being convicted.

The 34-year-old was given yet another community order at Leeds Crown Court this week after admitting a new set of charges.

As part of his sentence last year, he was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) in order for officers to monitor his internet use.

During a routine visit to his address on Bank Street, Ossett, on January 14 this year, officers became concerned about material on his devices, prosecutor Ella Embleton told the court.

Preston was arrested and his internet devices seized. On his mobile phone they found 2,707 category C images of children. They alo found one category A image - depicting the most horrific abuse.

The court heard that the children in the images found were as young as nine. They also found he had been purposely searching for the material between June and November last year - starting just days after being sentenced.

He was interviewed and gave a prepared statement but then refused to answer subsequent questions.

Appearing by video link from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand, Preston admitted possessing indecent images of category A and C.

The court heard that he was sentenced on May 29 last year when he was given a two-year community order.

Police had been tipped off about images being downloaded at his address and paid him a visit.

Claiming they were downloaded by accident, he then voluntarily attended the police station days later to confess, telling officers he had been indulging himself for years.

Police found 57,000 images of children as young as five on his his devices.

Mitigating for his latest offending, Andrew Stranex said: “He found himself utterly isolated after his last conviction, his family and friends had distanced themselves completely.

“It led to a situation that led him back into this.”

He said that Preston had since got himself a night-shift job, which he would lose if he were to be jailed, along with his flat.

Judge Kate Rayfield told Preston: “I acknowledge from the outset that I can’t control if you have a sexual interest in children, but I have to have one eye on protecting the public in the long term.

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“You have made your situation far more serious by continuing to look at inappropriate material.

“Balancing everything together, I think the public will be better protected by you continuing to work with probation.”

She gave him another two-year community order and 10 further rehabilitation days with probation.