Paedophile’s vile haul of 14,000 abuse photos
A PERVERTED pensioner had almost 15,000 sickening child abuse images featuring victims as young as six months old.
Ronald Perry’s vile collection of illegal photographs and videos featured not only babies, toddlers and children being abused but also adults engaged in sex acts with animals.
The 72-year-old’s haul of 14,852 images was found when police went to his home in Southport last February with a warrant as a result of his online activities.
Prosecutor John Hobley told Newcastle Crown Court: “When spoken to away from his wife he told police ‘I know what you are talking about, it was me’.” The court heard on Perry’s laptop police found a total of 14,812 illegal images featuring babies and children being subjected to horrific abuse.
Mr Hobley said one image featured a baby whose “estimated age was between six months and one year”.
Police also found 38 computer generated images of children and two images of extreme pornography featuring animals.
Perry, who now lives in sheltered housing at Lynemouth, Northumberland, admitted three charges of making indecent photographs of children, one of possessing the illegal images, possessing prohibited images and possessing extreme pornography.
Judge Tim Gittins sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years with a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration.
The judge said the images were “completely sickening” and told Perry: “Each image viewed by you and people like you is a fresh abuse of an already abused child.
“They know, going through life, that paedophiles like you had access to their worst nightmares, captured forever more.
“The images were deeply depraved and involved the youngest of victims, many children under the age of ten, including babies and toddlers.”
Judge Gittins said Perry’s health problems mean there is a question over his ability to survive a custodial sentence but the judge warned “it won’t stop me next time” if the pensioner were to breach the order in any way.
The court heard Perry has never been in trouble before and now lives a solitary existence, miles away from his family and friends.
Geoff Knowles, defending, said: “Essentially he is someone who has lost everything, he has lost his family, his good name, his marriage.”
Mr Knowles said Perry is capable of rehabilitation.