Man fuelled his child abuse by downloading indecent images
PERVERT HAD PHOTOS OF CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS SIX
A DERBY man with a “clear interest in children” has walked free from court after being convicted of downloading indecent images of children.
Joshua Mecia, of St John’s Close, Allestree, downloaded some of the worst types of indecent images of children, with some photos showing children as young as six.
The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent photos or pseudo-photographs of children at a court hearing in February.
However, he walked free from Derby Crown Court on Monday after it was claimed he had already voluntarily contacted a charity which works to prevent child sexual abuse.
The court heard Mecia had downloaded the photos from an internet forum over the course of nearly two years.
Raglan Ashton, prosecuting, said: “The defendant downloaded a number of indecent images into two devices – the first being a laptop and the second being a mobile phone. These were downloaded between August 29, 2016 and May 28, 2018.”
The court heard the police looking at the devices found three Category A (the worst) images, two Category B images and 19 Category C images.
Some of the images showed children who were assessed as being between the ages of six and 11 years old.
He added: “The defendant clearly has an interest in children.”
Mecia was arrested by police on June 28, 2018, and admitted to officers he knew it was illegal to obtain or possess indecent images.
In mitigation, his lawyer said Mecia had voluntarily contacted the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity which works to prevent child sexual abuse, following his arrest and had already signed the Sex Offender Register.
She said: “He’s 30 years old and of good character. He is adamant that this won’t happen again, but also is his family. He has their support and has resolved not to be in this position again.”
Sentencing him to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, Recorder Adrian Reynolds said Mecia he had fuelled the abuse of children by looking at the images.
“The problem people like you have when you look at this disgusting material is that you lose sight of the fact that these are real children,” he said.
“I suspect you appreciate that now. It’s a point that cannot be reiterated too powerfully. It seems to me that you’re now 30 and have never been in trouble before. The stuff was downloaded a long time ago.
“I appreciate you’ve taken steps to rehabilitate yourself. For the next 12 months you will have those six months [in prison] hanging over your head.”
Mecia was also given a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement, ordered to pay £500 in prosecution costs and told he would stay on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years.