September 1, 2017 3.23 pm This story is over 92 months old

Man caught with child abuse videos and images of people having sex with dogs and horses

The judge said it was real children who had been abused.
Lincoln Crown Court inside Lincoln Castle. Photo: File/Lincolnshire Reporter

A Sleaford man who was caught with indecent images of children after police raided his home has been jailed for 10 months.

Karl Heys, 35, was arrested after police executed a search warrant at his address in Sycamore Drive on January 11 this year.

Lincoln Crown Court heard police took away a computer tower which when analysed was found to contain indecent images of children.

Siward James-Moore, prosecuting, said: “When police arrived Heys seemed to appreciate the reason for their visit before they stated it.”

The court heard Heys was a heroin addict who had never worked.

Analysis of the computer tower showed it contained two still images in the most serious category of A and six videos including one 39 minutes in length which showed serious sexual abuse of a girl aged between 12 and 14.

There were 14 still images and two videos in category B and one category C image.

The computer tower was also found to contain 24 extreme pornographic images depicting people with dogs and horses.

During interview Heys mostly declined to comment but admitted he had downloaded the material and needed help, and was ashamed.

Heys, of Sycamore Drive, Sleaford, admitted three charges of making indecent images of children and one charge of possessing extreme pornography.

Sam Skinner, mitigating, admitted these were disgusting offences from a “pathetic and wretched” man but asked the court to consider a suspended sentence.

Mr Skinner told the court: “This is a man who not only needs help but who said so to the police and the Probation Service.

“There is a good chance he will co-operate and can be helped.”

Mr Skinner added: “He has an inability to explain what is a relatively low number of images.”

Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC told Heys he could not avoid a jail sentence for such serious category A images.

The judge said: “These aren’t simply still images, one is a 40 minute film.”

Judge Pini added that it was real children who had been abused.

He said: “The problem I have here is that internet offending is an escalating and serious problem for the courts.”