Paedophile jailed after sick boast
INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN SHARED ON INTERNET
A 30-year-old man has been jailed after he downloaded hundreds of child abuse images and videos and shared some of the sick photos with other paedophiles online.
Christian Hawkes, of Hilltop Avenue, Ainley Top, was arrested by police back in June 2019 after he sent an image to a woman which contained the caption: “Kids love my paedo **** .”
Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that officers went to Hawkes’ home the next day and seized various devices which were later analysed for indecent material.
In total officers found nearly 1,000 indecent images of children along with 38 videos, as well as evidence that Hawkes had been sharing four images with other members of an online chat group.
Prosecutor Conor Quinn explained that new members in the group had to post indecent images of children. “This was something the defendant had encouraged and involved himself in by sharing indecent images,” said Mr Quinn.
In a police interview last year Hawkes said he was “disgusted” by his behaviour and had completed a “Safer Lives” course following his arrest.
Hawkes, who had no previous convictions, admitted possession of indecent images and videos of children and two further charges relating to his distribution of images.
Mr Quinn revealed that the children ranged in age from just 18 months to about 15 years old and some of the victims showed visible signs of distress. Judge Jonathan Rose was told that Hawkes was extremely remorseful, but he rejected a submission that any prison sentence could be suspended.
Jailing Hawkes for 12 months the judge explained that by law he was obliged to follow the sentencing guidelines in such cases and said he also had to reduce the defendant’s 16-month jail term by 25 per cent because of his guilty pleas.
“What you and others like you must understand is that every single image of child pornography requires the desecration of a child,” the judge told Hawkes. “It is a torment and for all those children it is a torment that cannot be absolved by your declarations of remorse.”
The judge described the imagery as “despicable” and said Hawkes’ willingness to share them with like-minded paedophiles meant it had to be an immediate prison sentence.
Hawkes will have to register as a sex offender with the police for the next 10 years and must also comply with a sexual harm prevention order for the same period of time.
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