Illegal porn dealer must pay £55,000

A MAN who ran an unlicensed sex shop from his Leeds home, selling pornographic DVDs by mail order, has been ordered to repay £55,000 from the proceeds of his criminal activities.

By The Newsroom

Published 31st Mar 2012, 07:00 BST

Gary Pickard, of Parkwood Road, Beeston, was also ordered to pay costs of £5,000 at a Leeds Crown Court hearing this week which followed an investigation into his illegal trading. In March last year Pickard admitted one offence of using his premises as a sex establishment without a license and five offences of possessing unclassified videos.

He was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years and ordered to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work.

His assets were investigated by Leeds and Kirklees councils and trading standards.

John Mulcahy, Leeds City Council’s head of licensing, said: “This is a real first for the council.

“We have successfully obtained a warrant to enter the residential property and also gained a prosecution for the proceeds of crime.

He added: “Mr Pickard had financially benefited from his criminality, and it is therefore only right that this money is taken back.”