July 24, 2020 4.44 pm This story is over 44 months old

“Lonely” man who downloaded child porn avoids jail — again

He was already on a suspended jail sentence
| Photo: File / The Lincolnite

A “lonely” Grantham man who downloaded child porn images has been spared an immediate prison sentence.

Stephen Conroy, who at the time was on a suspended jail sentence for similar offences, was caught out again following a visit from his risk manager.

Tom Heath, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that as a result of the visit in August 2018 a tablet computer was taken away and when it was checked an indecent image of a child was found on it.

As a result of that discovery the risk manager returned and seized another tablet, two mobile phones and seven memory sticks. When they were checked further indecent images were found.

Mr Heath said: “When the defendant was interviewed he said he looked at the images because he was lonely and drunk. He said he thought he was looking at pornography from a legitimate website.”

Conroy, 60, of St George’s Way, Grantham, admitted two charges of making a total of 120 indecent images of children between January 1, 2017 and August 16, 2018 and a further charge of possession of a prohibited image of a child.

He admitted two charges of failing to comply with the sex offenders’ register notification requirements by not declaring details of bank cards to police.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of 59gs of cannabis found at his home and to being in breach of a suspended jail sentence imposed at Leicester Crown Court in August 2016 for making indecent images of children.

Stuart Lody, in mitigation, said that in the two years since the offence Conroy has gone through “a transformative process.”

He said: “There has been what the probation report describes as a sea change in his thinking and his attitude.

“There has been real progression towards rehabilitation. In addition he has experienced a loss of libido causing a loss of interest in sexual matters.”

Conroy was given a 30 month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was also ordered to complete a sex offender treatment programme and given a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.