West Yorkshire man jailed for looking at child porn says his life has been ruined

A man who was jailed for looking at child porn has spoken of how it has ruined his life, as part of a hard-hitting police campaign.
This man, jailed for downloading indecent images of minors, has spoken out about how it affected his life.This man, jailed for downloading indecent images of minors, has spoken out about how it affected his life.
This man, jailed for downloading indecent images of minors, has spoken out about how it affected his life.

The man, whose identity has not been revealed, said he had gone from having a high-profile life as a music performer to having "no life at all", adding: "Even some of my own family won't talk to me."

The man was jailed for a year and has since been released after being caught with indecent images of minors on a pen drive.

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In a video released by West Yorkshire Police, he said he has not seen his six-year-old daughter for three or four years.

He said: "People don't forget. I feel like people are judging me all the way through.

"I feel everybody is against me."

The video forms part of an ongoing campaign by West Yorkshire Police, urging people who are tempted to view indecent images of children to think about the potential consequences.

Detective Superintendent Jon Morgan who leads West Yorkshire Police’s Safeguarding Central Governance Unit said: "We want to get across to anyone who is currently looking or thinking about looking at indecent images of children, it is a crime and you will get caught.

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"Most people who we arrest for downloading and sharing indecent images of children have never come to the attention of the police and are not what people may think as a criminal.

"Whatever your profession, we don’t discriminate. We will arrest you for looking at indecent images of children, you are a sex offender and that is something that we take extremely seriously.

"Being investigated for this crime has all sorts of repercussions on your life, work and family. There is lots of help out there to stop this harmful behaviour before it ruins your life."

West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson said: “This campaign spells out in no uncertain terms, the extremely serious ramifications of viewing indecent images of those under the age of 18.

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“The video of the perpetrator brings the consequences into a very real perspective and should serve as a stark reminder as to the many ways in which this illegal activity can ruin lives in more ways than one.

“Tackling this type of online behaviour is part and parcel of the priorities within my Police and Crime Plan and I support new approaches in which this issue can be effectively addressed.

“This combination of strict enforcement and education is crucial in keeping young people safe across our communities and particularly within the digital environment.”

Anyone who is concerned about their own behaviour or that of someone they know can visit www.westyorkshire.police.uk/iioc for details of the support available.