October 2014
Madeley man jailed after police find 7,230 indecent images of children on laptop
PERVERT Benjamin Heath is behind bars after he downloaded thousands of indecent images of children.
The 38-year-old, who has a previous conviction for making indecent images, was arrested last July after he failed to comply with the sex offender notification requirements.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard police seized his computer equipment and found a total of 7,230 images of children on his computer, hard drive and laptop.
Now Heath has been jailed for 14 months.
Prosecutor Heather Chamberlin said Heath was a registered sex offender after being convicted of similar offences in 2007.
But he was arrested in July, 2013 after he was in breach of the sex offender notification requirements.
His computers and other devices were analysed and were found to contain images of children.
He was re-arrested in February when police seized more equipment and found further indecent images.
Police found 834 category A images which were downloaded between 2007 and 2009; 790 category B images; and 5,370 category C images.
They found a further five movies at levels A, B, and C, along with 51 level C images downloaded in 2010. The investigation also found and 33 level A; 24 level B and 123 level C images downloaded on his laptop between 2011 and 2014.
Heath, of Riverlea, Madeley, pleaded guilty to eight offences of making indecent images of children.
He admitted the pleas placed him in breach of a suspended sentence he received in 2007.
Peter McCartney, mitigating, said Heath’s partner has accepted what he has done in the past.
Mr McCartney said: “She seems to have got over the shock.
“She is prepared to live with him and work with him to prevent any further relapse in his offending.”
Judge Paul Glenn said it was a significant aggravating feature that the offences were committed while Heath was the subject of a suspended jail sentence.
He jailed Heath for 14 months and placed him on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.
Heath also was made the subject of a 10 year sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) and will be barred from a range of activities involving children and vulnerable adults.
Judge Glenn said: “These are real children being abused for the entertainment of people like you who access this disgusting and disgraceful behaviour.
“It is quite plain that you have an ongoing interest in indecent images of children.
“You are plainly sexually attracted to children.
“You have already undergone a sexual offenders treatment programme but you continued to offend while subject to that programme.
