Businessman jailed again for downloading child abuse movies on PC
AN Ashbourne businessman downloaded horrific child abuse movies which he viewed when staying in hotels while away for work, a court has heard.
Andrew Hellaby, previously jailed in 2013 for the exact same offence, also installed software on his laptop that would delete his internet browsing history.
The 59-yearold paedophile’s sentencing hearing at Derby Crown Court was told that, by doing so, he was in contravention of a sexual offences prevention order imposed when he was sent to prison.
After raiding his Derby Road home, police seized and examined his electronic devices and on one of them found thousands of sick films and images of young children being sexually abused by adults.
Jailing Hellaby for two years, Judge Nirmal Shant QC said: “822 of the indecent images were of (the most serious) category A and a quarter of those were moving images.
“This offending spanned February 2018 to May 2020 and that is a considerable period of time. “It took place not long after you were released from custody for the same the same type of offences.
“And you had software put on (a laptop) with the intention of using it for business reasons.
“You understood perfectly well when you installed that you it would delete your browsing history. I cannot suspend your sentence.”
Jeremy Janes, prosecuting, said in 2013 Hellaby was jailed for a year for making indecent images of children.
He said at that time he was handed what was then called a sexual offences protection order under the terms of which he was not allowed to install any software which deleted his browsing history.
Mr Janes said: “The defendant works manufacturing pure water for the medical industry and it is his habit to stay away in various hotels for business.
“Kent police notified Derbyshire police that an IP (internet) address linked to the defendant had been downloading indecent images of children at a hotel in its area.
“So on May 20, 2020, the police went to his home address and seized his electronic devices.”
Mr Janes said in total there were 822 category A images or films, 521 category B and 7,171 category C.
He said: “The defendant said he had only been doing what he had been doing since that May saying, in his own words, he had ‘lapsed back into his old ways.’ But we do not accept that because the (creation) dates go back to early February 2018.
“The creation dates suggest a wider, ongoing, interest.
“Of further concern is that he had installed the software which deleted his browsing history.
“He said he had not viewed the images for sexual gratification.
“We simply don’t accept that.”
Hellaby, who runs his business from Ashbourne, pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children and breaching his sexual offences prevention order (now called a sexual harm prevention order).
James Riley, mitigating, said his client’s mother and partner had written references on his behalf.
He said: “The defendant works in the production of pure water for the pharmaceutical industry including Pfizer and Astra Zeneca.
“He has a supportive family who are also reliant on him and there are remarks from his mother and partner about what effect immediate custody would have on them.
“That’s not holding a gun to the court’s head.”
As well as prison time Judge Shant handed Hellaby a fresh 10-year sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the sex offender register for 10 years.
You installed software to delete your browsing history. I cannot suspend your sentence.
Judge Nirmal Shant