Man spared jail over abuse images

A MAN has been spared jail after he was caught with thousands of “vile” images of child abuse on his computer.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Joshua Talbot, who was planning a career in the Army, started looking at the material when he was 16 and had more than 5,000 indecent images.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins told the defendant: “You must realise that these are very serious offences.”

The court heard police searched his home in Llanrumney on April 6.

David Pugh, prosecuting, said Talbot was there with his family and told officers: “There are torrents on there.”

The prosecutor said peer-to-peer groups were the target of the police investigation.

Talbot went on to admit: “I went through a phase when I was 16 of downloading stuff. There’ll be stuff on there, but I haven’t looked at it for years. I’m going to jail.”

Mr Pugh said police found a “large number” of images, including 720 still images and 318 videos of the most serious Category A. The court heard there were 1,425 still and 138 moving images at Category B, plus 2,721 still and 88 moving images at Category C, along with 56 prohibited images.

There was no evidence the defendant had distributed the material.

Talbot, 21, from Clovelly Crescent, Llanrumney, admitted possessing indecent and prohibited images of children.

Laurence Jones, representing Talbot, stressed his client had no previous convictions or cautions.

Mr Jones said his client started looking at the material when he was 16, before developing an addiction. He wanted to seek help but was scared of the consequences.

The court heard Talbot, who is engaged, was planning to follow one of his siblings into the Army.

Mr Jones said he had shown “clear remorse” and was keen to engage with any rehabilitation activity.

Judge Jenkins described the images as “vile”. He told the defendant: “Every single one of those images, as I am sure you will realise, represents the real abuse of children.

“Those images are produced because people like you are prepared to look at them and they fuel a growing market.”

The judge imposed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and the defendant’s name will remain on the sex offender register for the next 10 years.

Judge Jenkins noted it must have taken “some degree of courage” for Talbot to tell his family and friends about his offending.

He said: “It is clear to me that you are very ashamed of your actions, as you should be.

“I feel, in the circumstances, that I can just about suspend the operation of the sentence.”

Talbot was given a 10-month jail term, suspended for two years.

The judge also made a two-year community order, requiring him to complete 30 days of a rehabilitation activity and 200 hours of unpaid work.