June 2014
Walsall man with 440 child abuse images spared jail
A man who admitted making almost 440 indecent images of children has been told he must attend a sex offender group programme and sign the Sex Offenders Register.
Carl Powell was arrested after police raided his home in Walsall, a court heard.
Police had received information which led them to raid his home and seize his computer during May last year, Mr Nicholas Burn, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court.
The court heard that almost 100 of the images found on Powell’s computer were in the most serious category.
Mr Burn said 51-year-old Powell made full admissions to police, claiming he became interested in looking for indecent images but was initially shocked by what he found.
He said Powell, who was of previous good character, had never distributed the images or shown them to others.
He also said there was not a ‘considerable’ number of images but some of them had been categorised at the most serious end of this type of offending and could attract a jail term.
Powell, of Harden Road, Leamore, admitted four charges of making indecent images of children between April 2011 and May 2013.
Judge Michael Challinor handed Powell a three year community order, with a requirement to attend a sex offender group programme.
He also made a 10-year sexual offences prevention order and Powell will be on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.
