Man admits having 4,800 child porn pics

AMAN has been sentenced after police found almost 4,800 indecent images of children on his computer.

Anthony Dixon, 60, was caught by officers after they were tipped off about suspicious online activity at his former home on Rainow Road, Macclesfield, a court heard.

And after confiscating his personal computer and discs from his house they found the illegal images, 2,208 of which were of the ‘most serious’ category of child abuse, a hearing heard.

In total he had 4,787 explicit pictures of minors.

After searching his computer’s history the police found Dixon, now of South Park Road, Macclesfield, had been searching ‘recognised’ terms to find indecent images of children, the court heard.

He pleaded guilty to one charge of making 2,208 indecent photographs of children; one charge of making 2,014 indecent photographs of children; one charge of making 565 indecent photographs of children; one charge of possessing 4,787 indecent photographs of children; possession of 1,000 prohibited images of children; and possession of 414 extreme pornographic images at a hearing at Chester Crown Court last month.

sentencing hearing at the same court on Wednesday (February 4) heard he was also in possession of 414 extreme pornographic images.

Jo Maxwell, counsel for the prosecution, said: “Police executed a warrant after evidence from internet watch about suspicious activity at his address.

“In a police interview Mr Dixon claimed that he was searching for adult porn and came across the indecent images.

“A fter confiscating his personal computer and discs officers could see that there had been a lot of recognised terms searching for indecent images of children and file sharing

Aprograms installed on his computer used to down- load images.

“He was interviewed again at the end of July last year and made no comment.”

Defending Dixon, Matthew Higginson said his client deserved credit for admitting the offences in court.

He said: “He suffers from depression. He has no previous convictions and has pleaded guilty to all the offences.”

Sentencing, Recorder for Chester, Judge Elgan Edwards, said: “These are serious offences that involves the abuse of chil- dren and that cannot be tolerated. You admitted your guilt which is to your credit.”

Dixon was handed a three year community order with supervision and told he must attend an Internet Sex Offending Treatment Program.

He was made to sign the sex offender’s register for 10 years and handed an indefinite sexual offence prevention order., and told he could not work with children until given permission by authorities.