Man had 36,000 indecent images of youngsters

Hansen was jailed for three-and-a-half years

A PERVERT who accessed more than 36,000 indecent images of youngsters has been sentenced.

When the police called at Lars Hansen’s home to execute a search warrant he immediately confessed to having accessed illegal images of children.

The 56-year-old technical designer pleaded guilty to 14 offences.

They related to possessing 4,441 indecent images in the most serious band, category A, 4,127 images in category B and 28,122 in the least serious range, category C.

He also admitted distributing 48 images in category A, 20 in category B and 70 in category C, as well as possessing 275 extreme images involving bestiality and a prohibited image.

Luc Chignell, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court the police went to the defendant’s home, in Whitworth Avenue,

Hinckley, on October 11 last year to execute a search warrant.

He added: “When asked if he had accessed indecent images, the defendant admitted it and made admissions.”

In total 36,690 images were found across various devices seized by the police from his home, showing possession dating back to 2003.

Mr Chignell said: “Some were of vulnerable children, from the ages of two to 11, were in discernible pain or distress, including videos and still

images.

“There were a large number of different victims.”

The court heard that because Hansen used a particular software system he was inadvertently facilitating sharing them with others, and claimed he had not deliberately circulated them.

Michael Garvey, mitigating, said: “He grew up in Denmark and that’s when he became exposed to material including bestiality, when he was a teenager.

“At that time the laws were relatively liberal, although I don’t know what the situation is there nowadays, but it could be obtained legitimately and openly; that’s when his interest started.

“Throughout his adult life, when he’s been in a relationship or busy with work his attention was elsewhere, but when not in a relationship and relatively idle he resumed it.

“For a long period of time he had this interest and had been looking at these items.

“The distribution is something he’s had to accept and admit, as a consequence of him accessing the material via a software system enabling other access.

“He’s never been in a chat room (with like-minded individuals) and he hasn’t sent anything to anybody on request.

“Clearly there are some very young children involved and that would clearly add to and push up the sentencing range.

“From the moment the police arrived he was open and candid with them.

“He’s had the good sense to realise his interest had turned to obsession and addiction and wants to do something about it.”

Mr Garvey said Hansen had been offered the chance to attend a rehabilitation course run by the Lucy Faithful organisation to address his problem.

Hansen has been in the UK for 18 years and was working as a technical designer for a Hinckley company designing shop outlets.

Mr Garvey said: “He doesn’t have access to children and isn’t interested in having access to them, he’s only had adult relationships in the past and isn’t interested in seeking out children.

“He’s a single man and someone who let himself be misguided into looking at this sort of material - and he wants to take appropriate steps to change.”

Hansen was jailed for threeand-a half years.

He was placed on an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and will have to enlist on a sex offender register for life.