Man spared prison over child images

Gary Collier, of John Rastrick Rise, Chepstow, pleaded guilty to three offences of possessing indecent images and one of possessing extreme pornographic images at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday.

Police searched 49-year-old Collier’s home on January 11 where they found a laptop and USB stick with 12 videos and 11 indecent images.

Eight of the videos were deemed category A, the most serious level of offending.

Some of the images involved children as young as eight.

Others involved adults with animals.

After being taken to Newport police station, Collier made full admissions and said what he had done was “embarrassing”.

He said he had an interest in pornography and curiosity had led him to download more extreme images.

The court heard that Collier was of previously “unblemished character” and worked hard to provide for his family.

Ben Walters, defending, said: “Quite rightly the defendant is appalled by his behaviour. He has shown genuine remorse in interviews with the police and made full admissions.

“The time he has spent in custody has been an extreme lesson. He is, in my view, very unlikely to repeat his mistakes.”

He warned that a custodial sentence would have a “disastrous effect” on his family.

Despite being made aware of his offences, Mr Collier’s employer still supported him, the court heard.

“This is a man of positive good character, as shown by the way he has brought up his children and the way he presents himself in work,” said Mr Walters.

Sentencing, Judge Thomas Crowther QC said: “These are real children being abused to satisfy the demands of people like you.”

But he gave Collier full credit for his early guilty plea.

Collier was sentenced to a two year community order.

He will be made to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and undertake a rehabilitation course.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years and ordered to pay court costs of £625.