February 2008
Child abuse images pervert rugby player spared jail
A MAN who downloaded and distributed child abuse images has been spared an immediate jail term because of “prison overcrowding.”
Burnley Crown Court heard how Philip Tindall sent indecent pictures of children to others nine times and also had an obscene image of level four – the next to the most serious level – on his computer.
Tindall, a former Colne and Nelson Rugby Club player whose family has been connected to the club for years, was found out after a police investigation.
The defendant (49), of York Street, Colne, had admitted one allegation of making an indecent image of a child between November, 2005 and 2006 and one of distributing an indecent image of a child between January and September, 2006. He was given 20 weeks in custody, suspended for two years, with six months’ supervision. Tindall was placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years, was banned from working with children for life and must pay 414 costs.
Sentencing, Judge Beverly Lunt said: “I have seen these images and it defies belief that any decent responsible member of society could come across the images of children that you did and not report it to the authorities.”
The judge added she had read testimonials describing the defendant as an upstanding member of the community, hard working and conscientious. She went on: “It just goes to show you never really know someone as well as you think you do. Luckily for the authors they haven’t had to see the images I have.”
Miss Martine Snowdon (prosecuting) said the offences involved three images and came to light because of police interest through an investigation in an Internet email address.
Miss Snowdon said police discovered the defendant had sent an email which said: “Have you any young pictures?” The defendant told officers he liked to look at adult porn and chat rooms, but never anything to do with children and denied there were indecent images on his computer.
He had no previous convictions.
Mr Roderick Priestley (defending) said Tindall maintained he had no active interest in children. There had been a significant amount of adult porn on his computer and a small amount of unlawful images.
Mr Priestley said: “An experienced probation officer said the defendant is at low risk of re-offending and there is no significant future risk so far as such matters are concerned.”
The barrister said the defendant had the support of his partner and family as well as his workplace and social network.
