A COVENTRY man who had been downloading indecent images of boys as young as five or six for years was caught after his ex-partner tipped off the police.
And at Warwick Crown Court, Peter Sinclair (42) of Brook Close, Coventry, was jailed for eight months after pleading guilty to six charges of making indecent images of children.
He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and made subject to a sexual offences prevention order, regulating his access to the internet, for the same period.
Lucy Cash, prosecuting, said that earlier this year Sinclair’s former partner went to the police to tip them off about what he had been up to, and handed them an external hard drive.
On it officers found indecent images of boys in all three levels of seriousness, so got a warrant to search Sinclair’s home where they seized his laptop on which there were further images.
And Miss Cash pointed out that three of the charges reflect the images on the laptop, while three relate to those on the hard drive.
Altogether there were 98 stills and 26 movies in category A, showing children aged between ten and 15 being subjected to penetrative sex acts.
There were 140 stills and 93 movies in category B of boys of similar ages being subjected to non-penetrative sex acts.
And there were 328 stills and 11 movies in category C, showing children, some of whom were as young as five or six, in naked or indecent poses.
But when he was questioned about them Sinclair, who had no previous convictions, made no comment, added Miss Cash.
Amy Jackson, defending, said Sinclair, who had a good job as a build technician but was on sick leave, ‘appreciates the gravity of these offences.’
“He is struggling with his motivation, but he is a man who accepts responsibility for the downloading. Originally looking at legitimate pornography, he got drawn into this world.
“He does not have an interest in very young children, but he accepts that in older boys, he does.
In relation to comments Sinclair made in his pre-sentence report, Miss Jackson explained: “His real issue is that when one uses the phrase ‘images of children,’ he thinks of young children rather than teenage boys.
“The majority of the images are of boys aged 13, 14 and 15. He accepts it is entirely inappropriate and criminal, and something that society looks at with the utmost gravity.
“This has had a considerable effect on this defendant, the loss of family and the loss of friends because of the stigma of such offending,” she added.
Jailing Sinclair, Judge Stephen Eyre QC told him: “The actions you engaged in, viewing and downloading images of young boys being abused, helps to create a world in which there is abuse, because those who are tempted to cause that abuse and film it know there are others willing to view that material.
“I have to sentence you for the possession of a large number of indecent images.
“I accept most of the children were aged 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, rather than younger, but that is bad enough. Young boys of those ages were being abused, and you downloaded those images.
“Miss Jackson tells me you are developing greater insight. I hope that is genuine, but I must have a degree of scepticism about it. This offending took place over a period of four-and-a-half years.
“I have no alternative but to pass an immediate sentence of imprisonment.”
