Gainsborough man admits distribution of indecent child images, but avoids jail

A man who admitted possessing and distributing indecent images of children was today (Tues) given a suspended jail sentence.

Harry Street, 22, of Nursery Vale, Gainsborough, was caught after police became of aware of an email that was downloading indecent images of children.

Lincoln Crown Court heard the email was linked to a phone number which belonged to Mr Street’s hardworking mother, who was completely innocent in the matter.

Lauren Fisher, prosecuting, said the authorities contacted Street’s mother who informed them the phone was being used by her son.

Miss Fisher said police attended an address where Street was temporarily living and seized a number of devices, including a black iPad and iPhone, from which indecent images were recovered.

Street was interviewed on two occasions but made no comment.

He later pleaded guilty to offences between 30 May 2021 and 21 July 2021.

They included making 167 Category A still indecent images of children and 96 moving images, 245 Category B still images and 38 moving images, and 218 Category C images and 29 moving images.

Street also admitted distributing indecent images, possessing four extreme images and possessing six prohibited images.

Chris Jeyes, mitigating, told the court: “This is primarily a possession case rather than a distribution case. The distribution was fairly limited.”

Mr Jeyes said the past 18 months had been difficult for Mr Street’s family and mother who was a hardworking woman who had attended court to support her son.

He added that Mr Street was due to start a university course at the time of the offences but was isolated by the pandemic.

Mr Jeyes said Mr Street was an otherwise well thought of young man who had shown an unusual level of incite and frankness with the Probation Service about his offending.

Passing sentence Recorder Simon King told Street he had to pass a custodial sentence but it did not need to be implemented straight away due to his lack of previous convictions and frankness with the Probation Service.

“Your future lies in your own hands,” Recorder King told Street.

“You have to get this poison out of your system.”

Street was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for two years and must also complete a Sex Offenders Treatment Course and 40 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years.

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