Terror attack victim avoids prison for child abuse images

A VICTIM of the London Bridge terrorist attack has avoided prison for downloading child abuse images after a court heard that being stabbed helped to put a halt to his behaviour.

Adam Harris, 38, was in a bar when three jihadists went on the rampage and he was knifed twice, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.

Five months earlier, he had been caught with more than 1,000 still images and more than 100 videos of children on his phone and computer.

Some of the images were of “an extreme nature”, said Judge Deva Pillay.

Judith Benson, Harris’s defence lawyer, told the judge that the terrorist attack led to counselling that helped him to address his conduct.

“In June 2017, he began to take steps to address the behaviour that led to this. In short, he was abused as a child,” Ms Benson said. “He has been left with extreme anxiety, depression and as a result was provided counselling and, in the course of that, dealt with the sexual abuse.”

Eight people were killed and 48 injured in the London Bridge attack on June 3. Khuram Shazad Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba, the attackers, were all shot dead by police.

Harris, of Ashington, Northumberland, admitted three counts of making indecent images of children at Highbury magistrates’ court.

He was given a nine-month prison sentence suspended for two years and must undertake a 60-day rehabilitation activity.

He will also be subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order and 10 years on the sex offenders’ register.

A Justgiving page set up for Harris and his family has raised more than £7,000.