Middlesbrough pervert offered to pay for child abuse images

Mark Bullen used encrypted social media apps to source the vile images and videos to satisfy his depraved sexual urges.

Teesside Crown Court heard how specialist police officers recovered more than 3,000 images from the 38-year-old’s mobile phone and laptop.

Bullen replied ‘that’s what I am talking about’ when he was sent one disturbing image over social media, the court heard.

Tabitha Buck, prosecuting, said: “The police officer said that the images found on those devices were in such significant numbers and graphic nature that he would rank it as one of the worst he had seen since becoming a police officer.”

The court heard how the victims of the abuse in the images and videos ranged in age from under one to ten-years-old.

Miss Buck added: “A Kik app message about abuse images showed that he was willing to pay for them. He was sent a sample and replied - ‘that’s what I am talking about’.”

Bullen, of Sameria Gardens, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to making 556 indecent images in category A – the most serious category; making 384 indecent images in category B; and making 2,535 in category C.

A further charge of possession of extreme pornography was left to lie on file by the prosecution.

The court heard how Bullen was given a suspended sentence after he pointed a Taser at the head of his-then partner when she confronted him about sexualised pictures of himself that he was sending to other people Eleanor Durdy, mitigating, described her client as a vulnerable person who had longstanding mental health issues and was living on his own with a support worker.

Judge Chris Smith, who read a letter from the defendant’s mother, said: “She clearly loves him as any mother does but she has had to listen to dreadful things that he has been doing, no doubt while sitting in his bedroom.”

Sentencing Bullen, the judge added: “You are nearly 40-years-old and you have got a troubling history, you keep getting into trouble and it is because of your sexual misconduct.

“You don’t seem to be behaving properly when it comes to your sexual behaviour.”

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Bullen was sentenced to 18 months in prison suspended for two years and was ordered to attend 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Addressing the nature of the images, Judge Smith said: “The person holding the camera is in the room with them and their lives are being ruined and it is all being captured in pictures and video.

“And there you were encouraging somebody to get more material to send to you.”

Bullen was also made subject to a seven-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for the same period of time.