University technician fired over child porn

A LEEDS University technician was found to have downloaded almost 2,500 indecent images of children after police seized computer equipment from his home.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Jul 2012, 07:00 BST

Neil Cundall, 53, was arrested after officers received intelligence that he had subscribed to an online site which gave him access to child porn images. Cundall had provided his bank details and other personal information.

Leeds Crown Court heard officers searched his home on Compton Row, Harehills, Leeds, on June 26 2010 and made the discovery after examining software there.

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John Bull, prosecuting, said 2,473 indecent images were found. Altogether 155 were at level four and 20 were at the five, the two most serious categories. Cundall, a technician at Leeds University’s school of earth and environment, told officers most of the images had been downloaded from the website or he had obtained them in chatrooms.

He pleaded guilty to 21 offences of making indecent photographs of children.

Judge Scott Wolstenholme gave Cundall a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, and made him the subject of a two-year community supervision order.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for five years.

He has been dismissed from his job at the university.