January 27, 2016 12.01 pm This story is over 98 months old

Lincolnshire man avoids jail despite possessing 13,500 indecent images of children

Sentenced: A Lincolnshire man has been handed a community service order after a police investigation revealed he was in possession of over 13,500 illegal images of children.
Lincoln Crown Court. Photo: Martin Pettitt

A Lincolnshire man has avoided a jail sentence after a police investigation discovered he was in possession of over 13,500 indecent images of children.

Kevin Simmonds, aged 42, previously of Grantham pleaded guilty to possessing and making images varying from category A to Category C on November 23, 2015, at Grantham Magistrates Court.

He was then sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday, January 22.

He was sentenced to a three year Community Service Order. He will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years. A Sexual Harm Prevention Order will also be in place for ten years.

The illegal images was discovered following an investigation by Lincolnshire Police Internet Child Abuse Team, who searched his home address and found several files and computers that held indecent pictures of children.

Over 13,500 images were held varying from category A to Category C.

Head of the Internet Child Abuse Team, Detective Sergeant Vicky Midgley said: “There is always a digital footprint left behind when illegal images are viewed, downloaded or accessed.

“The impact on the lives of those we bring before the court for these offences has real consequences.”