Paedophile allowed to go free despite being caught viewing images
HE WAS LOOKING AT CHILD ABUSE AGAIN JUST ONE MONTH AFTER BEING SENTENCED FOR SAME OFFENCE
A YOUNG Derby paedophile has been told he’ll be spared jail despite being found, for a second time, accessing abusive images of children on a mobile phone and a laptop.
Bradley Sharp, 21, of Walnut Street in Allenton, appeared for the hearing at Derby Crown Court from HMP Nottingham, where he’d been held for the past eight weeks.
He was remanded in custody after being charged when the images were found on the tabs of the laptop’s internet browser.
Addressing the hearing, Lauren Fisher, appearing for the prosecution, said Sharp was arrested on October 11, 2021, while he was serving a three-year community order.
He was sentenced back on September 6, 2021, after admitting having possession of more than 700 images of child abuse – including 137 of the most serious class A category.
Miss Fisher added: “One month after that sentence, he was arrested following information that the internet at his home address had been used to access indecent images of children.
“On that occasion, a mobile phone and a laptop were seized. Police then found images on that laptop. The actual charge relates to images that were open on the tabs of the web browser.”
Miss Fisher told the court that Sharp had been released under investigation about the previous charge when these images had been created on the laptop.
However, appearing for Sharp, Rebecca Coleman argued that the seizure of the laptop came about “as a result of a statement from his offender manager that when asked about whether he had access to any other devices, he said his mother had a laptop that he’d started using to complete his college work”.
Miss Coleman argued that it was “appalling” that Sharp had been placed in custody following an appearance at magistrates’ court on September 3, 2022.
She said the assumption had been made at that time that the images had been accessed after the imposition of the community order, which wasn’t the case.
Miss Coleman said: “What is further appalling, in my submission, is that between his arrest date of October 3 and his charge date of March 2, no clarification was provided by the police in relation to the specific access dates of this material.”
She added that since his last conviction Sharp had attended all appointments with the probation service, and had been subscribed to the Restart Programme with the Jobcentre.
Miss Coleman continued that now he had been in custody for two months, he’d have to start that process all over again.
She insisted that Sharp, prior to being sent to prison, had taken steps both professionally and personally to get his life back in order.
In sentencing, Judge Jonathan Bennett agreed with the defence and told Sharp: “I don’t think I’ve ever dealt with indecent images in this way previously.
“I’m going to impose a conditional discharge for a period of 12 months in respect to the two offences – that period of discharge starts today.
“In addition to that, you are subject to notification now for one year – that’s pretty academic as you’re subject to five-years notification from the last time.
“The reasons why I’m taking such an exceptional course is because now you’re being sentenced on the basis that these offences did not take place after you got the community order.
“You’ve spent eight weeks in custody, which you’ve not done previously. That is why I can deal with you in the fairly exceptional way that I’ve indicated.”