October 23, 2017 4.10 pm This story is over 77 months old

Jailed: Sleaford man downloaded pictures of children as young as three being sexually abused

He has now lost his reputation and liberty.
Neil Dyson has been jailed

A man who downloaded thousands of photographs of children as young as three-years-old being sexually abused has been jailed at Lincoln Crown Court.

Neil Dyson, a power station worker, was arrested after police raided his home in Sleaford last month.

Officers removed computer equipment and a subsequent investigation revealed over 3,000 indecent images of children including 604 of the most serious category.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said that over 500 films of children being sexual abused were included in the total that were found with images showing the victims to be extremely distressed at what was happening to them.

Mr Howes said: “There were also three extreme pornographic images of adults having sex with animals.

“In the main these charges relate to indecent images of children. Over a period of about two-and-a-half years he acquired 3,617 indecent images of children.

“The images were found on a laptop computer, a USB thumb drive and a tablet.

“This matter came to light because the police executed a search warrant at his home on September 20.

“He made full admissions when he was interviewed and he also admitted sharing images with other people.”

Dyson, 42, of Pentland Drive, Greylees, Sleaford, pleaded guilty to three charges of making an indecent photograph of a child together with further charges of distributing indecent photographs of a child and possession of extreme pornography.

He was jailed for 15 months and placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

He was also given a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.

Recorder Paul Mann QC, passing sentence, told him: “These are appalling images.

“You have lost your reputation. You have lost a great deal. Now you must lose your liberty.”

Mark Watson, in mitigation, said that Dyson recognised that he had a problem and needs help.

Mr Watson said: “He cannot identify why it was that he began to look at this material.

“There came a point where he got into financial difficulties which in turn led to depression. That led to adult material and then to looking at child material. He says he became detached from reality.

“He clearly knew that what he was doing was wrong but in his state of detachment he continued to look at it.”