May 2014
Prestatyn man convicted of making child abuse images
A PRESTATYN man has been convicted of making child abuse images by downloading from the Internet.
John Garbutt, aged 52, of Ffordd Penrhwylfa in Meliden, Prestatyn, denied six offences involving nine still images and two videos.
He told the jury at Mold Crown Court that he had no interest in such images, he had never seen the images, and had not been responsible for downloading them.
But Garbutt, described as a self employed therapist who has been in the caring industry all his life, was convicted of all charges.
Judge Niclas Parry bailed him pending sentence.
He said that he should get his affairs in order because of all sentencing options would remain open.
The court heard how his home was subjected to a police raid in December 2012 and his business premises in Rhuddlan were searched.
Examination of his home computer and laptop showed that a web browser and file sharing software had been used to download the images.
Prosecutor David Mainstone said that there were level four images which involved an adult male having intercourse with a girl aged about 12 and another aged about five.
Garbutt denied taking an officer to one side during the raid and said that he had clicked on child images accidently.
In evidence, he told how he watched adult porn but had not been responsible for downloading child images.
He said that he had no idea how they got on his laptop.
Simon Mintz, defending, told the jury that it would be possible that thumbnail images of child abuse could appear on his client’s computer – while visiting adult porn sites – without him knowing that they were there.
But the prosecution said that some images had been searched for using terms indicating an interest in child sex and a deliberate decision had been made to download them.
