A man who stored more than 1,200 indecent images of children on his mobile phone has been given the chance to address his behaviour by working with the Probation Service.

Police, “acting on information” over suspected involvement with indecent child images, visited Aharon Prince’s home address and seized electronic devices, in February 2020.

Durham Crown Court was told that initial checks proved negative, but more intensive investigation revealed he had been downloading such material onto his phone.

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said the defendant initially denied accessing the images, and, when the case first came to the court, he pleaded not guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

Read more: True extent of indecent image viewer's offending may never be known

A trial was listed to take place this month, but Mr Cleasby said the court was recently informed of his intent to now admit the offences.

Going before the court again, days before the listed trial, the 25-year-old defendant of Dalton Crescent, Shildon, changed plea and admitted all three counts, relating to dates between July 2019 and February 2020.

The charges feature 476 images in the most serious category, 381 at the second most severe level and 403 in category C, the third tier of indecent child imagery.

Mr Cleasby said they featured children as young as one being abused, with several suffering discernible distress.

He said all were recovered from a seized mobile phone.

Kate Barnes, for the defendant, who has no previous convictions, said he has his own “vulnerabilities” and “intellectual limitations”.

Judge Jo Kidd told Miss Barnes that having read a fulsome probation background report on the defendant she was minded to pass a suspended sentence order.

Miss Barnes said her client had fully co-operated with the author of the report and she was sure he would engage with any requirement imposed.

Read more: Sex offender found with indecent images of children, again

Judge Kidd told Prince: “You had the good sense to finally enter guilty pleas.

“You’re a man with no previous convictions and I have read a detailed pre-sentence report in this case.

“The offences took place over a number of years and include a vast number of images, some featuring very young children and in considerable distress.”

She imposed a 15-month prison sentence, but suspended it for two years, during which the defendant must attend 40 rehabilitation activity days with the Probation Service.

He will also be subject to various restrictions relating to use of the internet as part of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, while he must also register as a sex offender, with both orders running for ten years.

Judge Kidd told Prince he will automatically be barred from working with children.

She warned him that any breaches or failure to comply with the community element of the sentence would see him back before the court facing a full prison sentence.

The judge also ordered forfeiture and destruction of the seized devices.

Read next:

               Ex-military school pupil downloaded hundreds of images of child abuse

               Man said children on abuse images, 'seemed to enjoy it'

               'Bored' ex-JP collected thousands of indecent child images from the internet

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