Leeds man caught with hundreds of child abuse images avoids jail

Stephen Taylor, of Spen Bank, West Park, Leeds, told police after his arrest: “I bet people will think I’m disgusting and a danger, but I’m not.”

Leeds Crown Court heard a total of 1,136 images were found on seized computer equipment and mobile phones seized from Taylor’s home during a police search on May 17 last year.

The court was 15 still images and 326 videos were in the most serious category A.

They included images of girls and boys as young as three-years-old being sexually abused by adults.

Prosecutor, Ashleigh Metcalfe said Taylor told police he had been downloading indecent images of children for a number of years. Miss Metcalfe said Taylor made a number of statements to police, including “I’m disgusted with myself” and “it’s just stupidity and curiosity.”

Alex Williams, mitigating, said: “He is ashamed and embarrassed. He was in the habit of downloading legal pornographic material and spiralled into a world of illegal images.”

Taylor, 27, who admitted three charges of possessing indecent images of children, was sentenced to a three-year community order and told he must complete the sex offender treatment programme over the three years.

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told Taylor: “It’s only because you have indicated you need help and you want to work with people who may be able to assist you in leaving your addiction behind that I’m going to take this step of not sending you to custody.”

Judge Khokhar also made Taylor the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.