‘THESE ARE REAL CHILDREN BEING ABUSED’
PENSIONER David Bales downloaded thousands of indecent images of children after he became addicted to porn.
The 66-year-old married dad viewed the images on his computer and ipod touch. But police seized the devices when they visited his home and an analysis of them found a total of 26 category A images, the most serious; 207 at category B; and 2,842 at category C.
Now Bales has been handed a two year community order at Stoke-on-trent Crown Court.
Prosecutor Richard Mcconaghy said police attended the defendant’s home on December 3, 2019 and seized several devices.
Mr Mcconaghy added: “The defendant lived with his wife and suspected he might be gay. He became addicted to pornography for 20 years or so.
“He was looking for images of men but he looked for images of younger men than he had before. He was not specifically looking for children but accepts he might have looked for young teens.
“He denied he got sexual gratification from looking at very young children.”
Bales, of Rowan Close, Biddulph, pleaded guilty to six charges of making indecent images of children. Robert Holt, mitigating, said the defendant has demonstrated genuine remorse. He added that Bales, who has no previous convictions, has kept out of trouble since his arrest and has engaged with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.
As part of the community order, Bales must complete a rehabilitation activity requirement for 30 days and 80 hours unpaid work.
Judge Paul Glenn said: “You have lost your good name.
“You accept having an interest in pornography and you describe it as becoming an addiction.
“You maintain your interest was in males 16 or over but the images found covered children significantly younger than that.
“It seems you kept your behaviour from your wife’s attention. It must have come as an enormous shock to her.
“She and your daughter remain supportive of you and you are fortunate.
“This is not a victimless crime – these are real children being abused, sometimes irreparably damaged and those who access this sort of material encourage perpetrate the abuse.”
Bales was placed on the sex offenders’ register and barred from a range of activities involving children and vulnerable adults. He was ordered to pay £425 costs.