Extreme pictures stored at OAP’s home
APENSIONER caught with nearly 100 animal porn videos claimed he wasn’t sexually interested in them.
Albert Redman, 70, amassed a vile collection of animal abuse footage showing adults having sex with dogs and horses.
The married dad-of-two said he didn’t realise the files were illegal, after downloading them over the course of nearly a year.
A judge today told the OAP: “You claimed never to be aroused by these images. I just don’t accept that, it’s obviously not true.
“You clearly obtained some gratification, that’s why you kept going back for more.”
Liverpool Crown Court heard police raided Redman’s home in Stanley Avenue, Birkdale on April 22 last year.
Andrew McInnes, prosecuting, said officers seized electronic items including a Western Digital hard drive.
It was found to contain 93 extreme porn images, of which 68 “unique” or non-duplicate images were still accessible to view.
Mr McInnes said a further 20 of the files had been deleted and they all depicted “acts of bestiality”.
He said the files were downloaded between March 25, 2019 and March 17, 2020 and the majority were videos.
Mr McInnes said: “It was not possible to identify whether images had been distributed. There was peer-to-peer software on the system.”
When interviewed by police, Redman admitted viewing the images.
Mr McInnes added: “He said he didn’t know it was illegal because he accessed them using a normal, legal search system.
“He said if he had known he was breaking the law he would have deleted the images.”
The prosecutor added that the videos were “of some length” and they were downloaded over a near 12-month period.
Redman, who admitted possessing extreme porn, had one previous conviction for an unrelated matter in 2013.
Aqsa Hussain, defending, suggested a low-level community order or fine was the most appropriate sentence.
She said this would allow Redman “to face the consequences of his actions but also rehabilitate him”, as proposed in a pre-sentence report by the Probation Service.
Ms Hussain said her client made “frank admissions” when interviewed by the police and said “he offended in this way simply because he was curious and it escalated”.
She told the court: “Of course that’s no excuse and he did add in the interview, I quote, he knew it was immoral but did not know it was illegal”.
The lawyer said Redman didn’t understand the implications of viewing the material, which he started doing at the age of 68, so a rehabilitation course would be suitable.
Ms Hussain said Redman worked as a mechanical engineer until he retired 10 years ago to care for one of his sons, who has cerebral palsy.
She said Redman had two adult children from his first marriage and was no longer responsible for that son’s care.
The court heard he now lives with and looks after his second wife, 62, who wrote a character reference on his behalf.
Ms Hussain said his second wife was “very supportive” of Redman, who she started a relationship with seven years ago.
The lawyer said: “She has issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes, so he cares for her.”
Ms Hussain said since Redman’s offending his second wife had developed mental health issues and was “struggling”, but she remained supportive of him and was “looking forward” to the remaining years of their marriage.
She said he also wrote a “letter of remorse” to the judge, in which he repeated that he didn’t know what he was doing was illegal but his “naive and foolish actions” had such an effect on both his and his wife’s mental health.
Redman said: “I sincerely apologise for my actions and I’m deeply regretful for what I’ve brought upon my family.”
The court heard he had £20,000 of savings and could pay a fine or towards court costs.
Judge Gary Woodhall said the files were “images of bestiality with adults”.
He said Redman claimed he was searching for “normal porn” when he came across the images, which he didn’t know were illegal and that the OAP said if he had known they were illegal, he would have deleted them.
Judge Woodhall said the author of the report assessed Redman as a “low risk” of re-offending or further offending.
He said the pensioner had “significant mitigation” including his age, effective previous good character, remorse and the absence of any suggestion that he shared the files.
The judge said he also had to consider the impact of serving a jail sentence during the coronavirus pandemic.
Judge Woodhall handed him a 12-month community order and 20-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.
He also fined Redman £1,500 and told him to pay £425 towards court costs.
The judge said he had 28 days to pay the fine or he would face 28 days in prison in default and also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the computer equipment.
Redman isn’t required to sign on the Sex Offenders Register because the minimum sentence for this offence for which notification requirements apply is a two-year jail term.