US tip off led to child porn swoop in Yorkshire

POLICE acting on a tip-off from the United States found almost 40,000 indecent images of children on computer equipment seized at the business premises of a man from West Yorkshire.

Officers initially visited David Croft’s home in Croft House Lane, Marsh, Huddersfield, in February 2008 where they found two A4-sized indecent photographs of naked girls aged about eight.

Prosecutor Dave Mackay told a judge at Bradford Crown Court yesterday that police then went to Croft’s then business premises in Armitage Road, Milnsbridge, where they seized computers which contained nearly 40,000 images.

Mr Mackay told the court: “He said he did not view images of young children as indecent provided that they were not doing something sexual. He said that anything that did show that must have been downloaded by accident.’’

Judge Peter Benson pointed out a photograph was found which showed a sexual act involving an eight-year-old girl.

The police had gone to Croft’s home after information from the United States about a DVD which had been posted to him.

At an earlier hearing, the retired 63-year-old, who had no previous convictions, admitted 22 charges relating to possession of specific indecent images and a further allegation which included the remainder of the images.

Judge Benson noted that Croft appeared to be in denial about the reason why he had accumulated such a huge number of images, but after taking account of his guilty pleas, his health problems and previous good character he imposed a three-year community order. including a requirement that he attends a sex offenders’ treatment programme.